


Obsessed with you

by b92morgan



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Blackmail, Bondage, Complete, Dark Arthur, F/M, Forced Marriage, Forced Pregnancy, Jealous Arthur, Kidnapping, King Merlin - Freeform, M/M, Merthur kids, Mpreg, Possessive Behavior, Prince Merlin, Rape/Non-con Elements, Same-Sex Marriage, Slavery, happy ending ?, obsessed arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-03-02 06:33:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 32
Words: 94,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2802950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/b92morgan/pseuds/b92morgan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Arthur is forced by his father to go to the kingdom Draken to seduce and marry Prince Merlin. At first Arthur doesn't want to, but then he sees Merlin and falls in love with him. Sadly Merlin doesn't return his affections, but Arthur won't stop until he gets what he wants and what he believes to be his.</p><p>IMAGES ARE NOT MINE!!! </p><p>NOW COMPLETE</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first story.  
> English is not my first language so I apologise in advance for my mistakes.  
> if you are not comfortable with the tags, please do not read.  
> please comment and tell me if you like the story and if you have suggestions.

“Arthur you’re finally here!” said King Uther to his son as soon as Arthur had come in the throne room.

The young prince mentally sigh at his father's impatience and wondered what the emergency was this time that had him cut short the knights training.

When Arthur stopped in front of the king, the elder Pendragon started to talk.

“Arthur, I want you and a few of your most trusted knights to go to the kingdom of Draken to attend to Prince Merlin’s coming-of-age celebrations”.

Prince Arthur, as the great warrior and leader that he was, immediately found in the depth of his memory all he could remember about the other royal.

Prince Merlin Emrys was the only son of King Balinor and Queen Hunith; therefore soon to be Crown Prince of Draken, the strongest of the kingdoms.

He was not surprised his father wanted his son to attend such great event, since it was well known that the king of Camelot was lustful for power and that in the past years he had tried many times to forge an alliance with the most powerful of the kingdoms; even though King Balinor always refused. So it was only natural Uther’d never let the opportunity to get the attention of the Draken leader once again.

However, Athur sensed it wasn’t just that his father wanted and he was right. “The celebrations will last 4 days and while you’re there you need to get close to the Prince”.

“What do you mean, my Lord?” frowned the prince.

“Since King Balinor refused a political union of our kingdoms, I had to think about another way to get what should be mine: power” hissed Uther, with something similar to madness in his eyes. “You will marry the prince!”

Arthur was speechless for a long time trying to fully comprehend what the king has just told him. ‘ _Marriage??_ ’ though Arthur. “Marriage?”

“Yes. You will do everything you can and cannot do in order to convince prince Merlin to marry you. I do not care how: seducing, wooing, treating, blackmailing… doesn’t matter to me. The only thing you are not allowed to cause is obvious and permanent physical or psychological damaged to the boy. He is too important. Moreover, his father is very protective and it will be the end of us if he suspect something bad happened to his jewel.”

By the end of the speech, the prince had wide eyes and needed to take a few deep breath before he felt himself calm enough to answer. “father, this is absurd. I cannot marry the prince of Draken and I don’t want to. I have already told you many times I want to marry for love, no convenience. Furthermore, Camelot will need an heir one day and prince Merlin is obviously a man and therefore unable to give me children.” Said Arthur almost shouting by the end, looking at his king as he had lost his mind. and maybe he did.

Uther fixed his son with a gaze that would intimidate even the bravest of men and said: “first of all marriage for love is for weak men and peasants. I will die before letting my own son and heir disgracing me, Camelot and himself like that.” Spat Uther out before carrying on. “Subsequently, I’ll have you know that the Emrys household is composed of Dragonlords and as such, able to conceive and bear extremely strong and healthy children. Another reason to have the Draken prince as your consort.”

Arthur understood immediately that he did not have a choice. Nevertheless, he had to try. “Father…”

“No Arthur” shout aloud the king punching the side of the throne. “Don’t you dare to contradict me! I’m your King and father, therefore you will obey me and do what it’s best for Camelot”.

‘ _For Camelot or for you?_ ’ bitterly though the price. However, he just bow to his father telling him he will do as the king command and that he will be ready to leave for Drakaria, the capitol city of Draken, in a week time. The king was pleased with the answer and dismissed his son.

*****  
As the prince strode out of the throne room, he couldn’t help but think about what he was losing. Arthur had always dreamt about whom he would be getting married to. He would meet and fall in love with the most beautiful, kind and headstrong person in the word. Someone who would challenge him to be the best and comfort him when the weight of his responsibilities would become too much. A soul mate with whom he would built a strong and fair kingdom and raise happy children.

Now he saw his dream becoming more impossible at every step he took.

What Arthur couldn’t image even in his wildest dreams is that he will soon meet this person, the one perfect for him. And that moment will be the beginning of an obsession that will change many lives.


	2. Meeting you for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter I wanted to underline 3 elements that will be important in the future: Arthur's dark feelings toward his father; merlin's love and closeness with his parents and magic role in this story. People have forgot about magic and just the dragonlords have still a bit of it, but not that powerful. their createst power is being able to comunicate with the magic creatures.

As promised, after a week, prince Arthur and two of his knights, Sir Leon and Sir Ethan, were ready to leave for Draken. The journey was going to last about two days.

Sir Leon was a knight about two years older than Arthur and was the prince’s best friend too. Apart from the Royals, Leon was the only one to know about the prince’s mission and silently he promised himself to help and support his friend the best way he could. Sir Ethan was one of the newest knights of the kingdom and Arthur had chosen him to help him gain experience, useful for future missions.

Obviously, Uther spent all the week remembering his son how important it was that he succeeded.

“Remember Arthur, this marriage will strengthen a permanent alliance with Draken and when king Balinor will die you will become King of that kingdom. Not to mention that your union with prince Merlin will give Camelot healthy and strong heirs. The Pendragon stock will be invincible!” explained the king for the umpteenth time.

In a moment of boldness and desperation in order to overcome the situation, the prince asked his father why he never declared war against Draken.

“Draken has much more soldiers than Camelot, as well as being the only kingdom with still signs of magic inside its border. It is said that the Emrys lineage is able to command dragons and every magic creature alive. If I was to declare war, we wouldn’t have a chance.”

“Maybe if we had more men…” tried the prince

“Do you think I never thought about that??” shouted Uther. “There are no more men! Every son of age to be a knight of every noble family is already here.”

Then Arthur suggested an idea; one he had been thinking about for a very long time. Arthur knew his knights were the best in all the kingdoms in terms of combat ability and if the only problem limiting the strength of Camelot army was the number, maybe they could allow the non-noble men to become knights.

The prince said as much to his king. The reaction was the expected one.

“NEVER!!! No filthy commoner will infest my army! And if you dare to insult the First Code of Camelot this way again, I swear you will regret it, boy”

 

In the courtyard, the prince sighed remembering that violent argument. According to Arthur that was another reason to think things will be best if he was king. Arthur loved his father but Camelot was more important. This is why he found himself thinking about Uther’s death a lot: he desired it more and more.  
The young Pendragon shaked his head to interrupt inappropriate thoughts. He checked if his men were ready, said goodbye to his father and Morgana, that recently he had found out to be his half-sister, creating a breach in their relationship, and departed.

 

^^^^

 

2 days later, in Draken, prince Merlin was heading towards the throne room where his parents were waiting for him.

When he arrived, seeing as they were alone in the room, he greeted them by hugging his father and kissing on the cheek his mother.  
Then the king said:

“Merlin, son, we called you here to alert you that someone we never expected will take part in the celebrations and we want you to be careful”

“Who, dad?” asked the prince, grateful for the privacy. This way he could address his father without titles, highlighting that despite their role, they were still a family.

“Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, love” announced Queen Hunith, looking at her son with unlimited love and now with a bit of worry too.

“Camelot?” asked astonished the prince. “I thought our terms with the Pendragons weren’t good. Why would Prince Arthur come here to celebrate my birthday? Is king Uther going to make amends for all the times he tried to impose his will on us?”

“I doubt it, son” wearily sighed the king. “I know that viper of a king. He is sending his son for a reason. And I don’t think it has something to do with just simply congratulating you, Merl.”

“What I have to do?” asked Merlin, not liking the situation

“I want you to be careful around Prince Arthur. Do not be alone with him more than it’s extremely necessary and don’t be influence by his words. Remember, Pendragons cause only troubles!!” finished Balinor gritting his teeth.

Merlin knew his father hated the king of Camelot. However, merlin was a kind soul and he was going to treat the other prince with respect and kindness, without forgetting Balinor’s advises.

 

Outside the throne room, Merlin decided to collect herbs in the forest for his own provisions with his bodyguard and friend Lancelot.  
A few hours later, Merlin found himself saving the life of a group of red dressed knights, attacked by wyverns.

 

^^^^

 

The journey was uneventful for the trio from Camelot, until they arrived at the Enchanted Forest.

Despite the fact that the majority of the kingdoms ran out of magic, it’s said that the forest surrounding the city of Drakaria, in the heart of the kingdom, harbours all magic creatures that survived men’s arrogance and lack of faith in what they couldn’t understand.  
Traders told stories about what they saw in these woods: nymphs, dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, unicorns, faun, mermaids, banshee, dragons, giant spiders, serket, phoenixes, centaur and many more. Nevertheless, the most frightening and fascinating thing is that the Emrys have the ability to control and to speak with these beasts.

While the knights were riding deeper into the forest towards the castle, they suddenly heard an animalistic shout.

They look above their heads and saw two winged creatures akin to dragons nose-diving in their direction. Arthur ordered his men to find a shelter.  
Before doing that, Sir Ethan was wounded to the shoulder and fell unconscious. The prince and Leon tried to help him, but the creatures surrounded them.

They had black scales and wigs and inscrutable red eyes, unable to hide their hunger for the knights.

Arthur was sure that was the end. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable, but it never happened.

Instead of his body being tear apart, Arthur heard a deep voice. It was so powerful that it was as if the entire earth was vibrating and with it his soul.  
The creatures flew away and Arthur turned to look toward the person coming to them. Suddenly, Arthur stopped breathing.

In front of him, there was the most beautiful human being, no, living being the prince ever saw. The vision was a young man, maybe a few years younger than Arthur was. He had hair the colour of the night; the skin white as the first snow; the lips, oh god the lips, rosy and full as peaches. They aroused Arthur in a way not appropriate at the place and the time. However what shaked the prince’ soul more the anything else, were the two jewels that customs forced him to call simply “eyes”. They were the depth of the sea and the stormy sky in summer.

Arthur was certain after this he will not be the same ever again, because in that moment Arthur was looking at his soulmate, his destiny, his love, his, his, his…  
He was sure. And he sweared, no matter what, that slim angel will be HIS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, tell me what you think and if you have suggestions.  
> Thank you


	3. The darkness within

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for your comments and kudos.  
> I can't really write details, so if you need, you can image Merlin's castel ( outside and inside) as Hogwarts.  
> in the next chapter there will be Dark Arthur.

Merlin didn’t know why the strangest things happened to him. One moment he was searching herbs with Lancelot, who was gathering a special algae in the lake - the man has a creepy fixation for lakes!! - and the next thing he knew he was running towards a pair of wyverns that were too near the main road for his liking and were communicating to the others that they had found food, by the way they were given off their calls.

Sure enough, the beasts were attacking three men and one of them was clearly injury.

Using the inner power that has been flowing in his family ‘veins since the ancient times, he sent the wyverns away and went to make sure of the strangers’ conditions.

Looking at them, Merlin could see that the injury one was very young and unconscious and next to him was a tall man with curly hair. However, it was the third man that impressed Merlin the most: he was blond, blue eyes and a well-trained warrior body. Since he had an aura of power surrounding him, he was clearly the leader.

Nevertheless, it was the way he looked at Merlin that unsettled him the most. He looked at Merlin like someone that had just found the source of eternal joy or like a starving man in the dessert looks at water and maybe it was more than that.  
Merlin didn’t know what it was but he was very uncomfortable under the blond intense gaze.  
Nobody ever looked at Merlin like that.

Merlin cleaned his throat and started to talk to the knights, whose kingdom of origin he still could not figure out.

“Are you ok? What are you doing out here?”

The curly haired knight answered, seeing as his leader was still staring at their savior, not giving any intention of doing anything else

“We are fine, thank you for saving us. We are in your debt. I am Sir Leon. Our mate, Sir Ethan here, has been wounded to the shoulder and I don’t know how grievous he is. What were those things?”

“Wyverns, cousin of the dragons but lacking their intelligence. You are lucky I arrived in time or you would be dead. The claws of the wyverns are poisoned so it’s best if we take your friend to the physician. Where are you…” Merlin was suddenly interrupted.

 

^^^^^

 

Arthur was vaguely aware of what was happening around him. He just couldn’t stop looking at his angel. He could feel his own pupils dilating after taking in every detail of his future lover- because that is what will happen sooner than later.

Arthur needed more; he needed to know everything about this piece of perfection.  
Without a care about what it was being said, he asked, hoping to hide his desperation

“Who are you?”

His soulmate startled at the question, he probably didn’t expect Arthur to speak out of nowhere or to speak at all. Merlin opened and closed his illegal mouth a few times before opting for an authoritative posture and saying:

“Maybe YOU should tell me who you are since you are in my kingdom. Beside, I’m not used to speak with ill-mannered prats who interrupt others’ talks and don’t thank them for saving their life”

Arthur was speechless. Nobody ever talked to him like that. Instead of being angry, he started laughing, as he never did before in his life. He laughed of joy and delight because his love was not only beautiful but had backbone and spirit.  
Arthur already loved him.

When he calmed down a bit, he said without enmity:

“You can’t talk to me like that. I’m Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot and a peasant like you should show respect to his better”

“Peasant??” Merlin almost shouted. He couldn’t believe this prat was the one his father told him to be careful of.

“Yes” Arthur was having so much fun. Of course, he didn’t care if his darling was poor, once together, Arthur would cover him with gold, jewels and love. “So, do you care to tell me your name, now?”

“Well you royal ass, I’m Mer…”

 

“MERLIN!!” yelled Lancelot running toward his prince. “Where were you? I was worried”

“You don’t need to worry about me Lance. You know I can take care of myself. I just saw some wyverns hunting too close to the road and saved these knights.” Explained Merlin pointing to the shocked trio that had recognized the name of the prince.

“Merlin? YOU are Prince Merlin Emrys of Draken???” asked Arthur.

It had to be a joke. What possibility did he have that his destined one was also the person his father ordered him to marry? The Camelot prince couldn’t help the wide smile on his face. This was perfect.

Merlin turned toward the other prince smirking “yes, I’m. And I supposed you are here for my birthday so, if His Highness would be so kind to follow me, I’ll take you to the castle and your knight to be looked after”

He turned again and started walking for the horses. The camelotians not far behind him.

 

During the journey, Arthur had to be near Merlin. Therefore, he rode by his side to talk with him.

“Tell me Meeerlin, what does 'prat' exactly mean?”

“In two words?”

“Yeah”

“Um… Prince Arthur”

After that, Merlin urged his horse to go faster and couldn’t stop laughing aloud thinking about Arthur’s priceless face.

The blond prince felt so much love and happiness in his heart that without hesitation rode faster too, not wanted to lose sight of his Merlin.

 

^^^^^

 

At the castle, Sir Ethan was immediately taken to Alice to cure his shoulder while his fellow knight and prince were escorted to their chambers and a servant was given to them.

Arthur was lying on the king size bed for a bit before preparing himself for the feast with the other guests that evening. Looking at the ceiling, he couldn’t believe how his life had changed in just a few hours. For once, he was happy his father was a bastard without a care for his son’s feelings.

Now Arthur had to plan a way to have Merlin. He didn’t want to use force, but he knew he would in order to conquer what was his. First, he would impress Merlin with his looks and manners, then he’d ask him to accompany him tomorrow to see the city. By the end of the celebrations, Merlin would be his fiancé and on the way to Camelot with Arthur. He was sure.

Smiling to himself, the prince prepared for the first part of the plan.

 

^^^^^

 

The Great Hall was magnificent, thought the prince of Camelot. It was bigger than the one in his castle; tables were on the side of a nave that took directly to the high table where the royal family and their guests of honor would sit. The ceiling was enchanted to show a night sky full of stars shaped as dragons. Levitating candles and balls of blue light illuminated the entire hall.

Arthur never saw anything so fascinating, until Merlin entered the room behind his parents. If Arthur had found him beautiful in his comfortable clothes, it was nothing compare to how he thought of him now. Merlin was dress in light blue and silver and on his head shinned a silver crown decorated with crystals and diamonds.

A hot feeling pervaded Arthur seeing his love like that, even though he couldn’t wait to see him undressed.  
Unfortunately, the warm sensation was wiped out noting how Merlin wasn’t entering the hall alone.

By his side, there was a very pretty girl with brown hair and eyes. She had her arm under Merlin’s and looked sweetly at him while he moved the chair for her next to his at the high table.

Arthur wanted to kill something. Preferably, that scum.

 

King Balinor thanked everyone for joying his family to celebrate the new Crowed Prince’s coming-of-age.

The food and the company were excellent, but Arthur couldn’t enjoy himself seeing as his Merlin kept laughing and smiling at the girl next to him; as she was his world.

Merlin has a wonderful smile, able to illuminate the room more than any candle or star ever could. In addition, the thought that that smile was not for him was breaking Arthur in thousands of pieces.  
He had to do something.

The prince of Camelot did everything he could to make Merlin concentrating on him - they talked, bantered for what felt like hours; they danced and Arthur noticed how perfectly they fitted- but Merlin kept focusing on the girl.

Arthur found out she was Lady Freya of Wyllt, daughter of Lord Edward and sister of Lord Gwaine. Her father is Balinor’s closest friend and owner of the isles off the coast of Draken. Therefore, his children were Merlin’s childhood friends.  
However, Arthur suspected there was something more between Merlin and Freya.

That’s why he followed them when they left the feast together.

They stopped in front of a room in the guest’s wing of the castle.  
Arthur hide behind a corner.

“Thank you for escorting me to my room, Merlin” Arthur could vomit listening to her sweet voice.

“The pleasure was mine, my dear Freya”

“Prince Merlin, are you trying to sweet talking me?” asked Freya smiling to her handsome prince.

“Why? Is it working?”

“It depends… what would you want to achieve?”

“A goodnight kiss would make this the best day of my life and fill my heart with joy,” Merlin said looking at his Lady with a gaze full of love.

With a light laugh, Freya whispered, “who am I to deprive my prince of that?”

Slowly they got close to each other and kissed with love and a bit of shyness. Nevertheless, they had never been happier.

Arthur couldn’t watch more. He was hurt, depressed but above all, he was angry. Not at Merlin, of course not. His love was just confused. It was normal. He had known Arthur, his soulmate, for just a few hours and his judgment was overshadowed by the years he was poisoned by that slut.  
Soon, she won’t be a problem anymore. Arthur would take care of her and free his sweetheart of her presence.

Something dark was blooming in Arthurs’ heart and it shown in his eyes while he was going back to his room, already knowing what he had to  
do to dispose of a particular insect.


	4. Lost in the darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after this chapter, I won't be able to update for a while. In january and february I have my uni exams and I need to concentrate on them :-( maybe I will update a chapter, but I'm not sure.  
> after the exams I will update regulary and often.
> 
> thank you for your comments and kudos
> 
> HAPPY NEW YEAR
> 
> WARNINGS: dark arthur, no-graphic rape, slavery, kidnapping

Arthur spent the rest of the night planning. He found the perfect way to get rid of the slut, so he paid his servant to send a message to an old friend of his father who was actually in Cenred’s kingdom for ‘business’. He was the right man for his plan.

Despite all this, Arthur wanted to be sure of the situation between Merlin and Freya before acting. He didn’t want to disturbed his father’s friend just because of a drunken act between the two.

Therefore, as soon as he was woken, he went to the Great Hall where the guests who didn’t want to have breakfast in their own rooms, could join the royal family. There, there were just a few noblemen: Lancelot, Princess Elena and her father, Queen Annis and Lord Gwaine. Arthur should have felt uncomfortable being at the same table with the brother of the person he wanted gone, but strangely, he was not.

When Merlin saw Arthur coming in, he indicated him to sit next to him. The prince of Camelot was obviously over the moon to be able to be near his love, to smell his perfume - forest and sea at the same time – and to lose himself in his eyes and smile.

They greeted each other as old friends and Merlin started to reintroduce him to his friends

“In case you were too drunk last night,” said Merlin winking to the blond prince.

“Sure you are not talking about yourself, Merlin? Maybe I should introduce your friends to YOU again” retorted Arthur enjoying being able to be himself and free when around his love.

Suddenly, Gwaine started to laugh aloud, rubbing away tears from his eyes

“Oh Merlin. I think Princess figured you out perfectly!! I tell you man, our dear Prince Merlin here doesn’t have an alcohol tolerance. I tried to train him but I had to give up”

“Well, I am sorry I don’t spend all my woken hours in the tavern like you. Some of us has a social life …. I swear the owner of our tavern sees you more often than he sees his own children,” said indignant the prince of Draken with an evident fondness for his friend in his eyes.

Arthur envied such a genuine friendship between the two and was extremely irritated by it. He didn’t like the way the Lord looked at His Merlin. Not at all.

The group laughed and joked for the rest of the breakfast and slowly they returned to their rooms to prepare for the hunt who was about to take place later that morning.  
Arthur and Merlin walked together towards their chambers, as they had to go through the same corridor for a while, and Arthur used these moments to find out the true.

“So, tell me Meeerlin. Has something interesting happened after the feast last night? I couldn’t help but noticing you left with a very pretty girl. Lady Freya, I thought she was.”

Merlin blushed thinking about Freya “Yes, she was. But I don’t think you should concern yourself with my business, your Pratness”

“Come on Merlin. Stop trying to be interesting” joked the prince of Camelot “I’m curious, that’s all. And as much as it annoys me I find myself wanting to be your friend.” Said Arthur, even though he wanted more than friendship, but for now, he didn’t want to pressure Merlin.

“So?” asked Merlin not fully understanding what Arthur was up to.

“Sooo, you can talk to me if you want”

Merlin stopped in the middle of the corridor where they had to separate. Merlin to the left. Arthur to the right.

He contemplated the prince in front of him. He was very handsome, Merlin could admitted it despite of his affection toward Freya; he was brave and funny. Yes, Merlin could see himself being friend with Arthur and he wanted it very much. Maybe their friendship would make real peace between their kingdoms.

Deciding to trust Arthur, Merlin looked around to see if they were truly alone. Then he whispered to the other prince

“Actually yes, something happened with Freya. You know, she and I are childhood friends and since we were children, we always took care of one other; we found comfort and serenity when we were with each other. Now that we are grown up, we have understood what we felt was love and we want to express it freely.”

“What do you mean?” Arthur could feel the monster in him waking, fearing the answer.

“I mean we want to be together officially and for the rest of our lives. Getting married, having children, growing old together… we want all this and soon. That’s why on the last day of the celebrations, after being officially invested of the title of Crown Prince, I’ll announce to the court my engagement with Freya. I know it seems soon but I know what I want. Freya too.” Finished Merlin with a wide smile.

‘No, you don’t’ thought Arthur with bitterness. Instead, he said, “Wow Merlin. I am happy for you. She seems like a wonderful person. I cannot wait for the day of the announcement. It will be amazing” lied Arthur, knowing that by then Freya will be already out of the way.

After Merlin asked not to tell anyone, they went on their separate ways.

 

^^^^

 

The hunt was a traditional event during celebrations and it was a way for the noblemen to show themselves and get to know the others.

Merlin had confessed to Arthur that morning that he didn’t like kill innocent, unarmed animals so he would go just to protect the group from the magical creatures living in the forest. According to Arthur, Merlin couldn’t be more adorable.

During the hunt, without being seeing, Arthur separated from the others to go near some ruins to meet the man he send the message to.  
He was already there and when he saw the prince, he had an evil smirk on his ugly face.

“I have to admit I was surprise to receive a message from the prince of Camelot of all people. For what your father had told me many times, I had the impression you didn’t like my kind of … services. Therefore, I’m curious. What can I do for you, your highness?” asked the man with a sarcastic bow.

Arthur didn’t really like this scum, but he needed him to solve his problem so he had to endure and remember that as soon as he was king, he would put this worm in his place.

“As I have explained in the letter, I need you to take a person and to introduce her to your ‘business’”

“Oh… and who would the fortunate girl be?” leered the man.

“Lady Freya of Wyllt. Tonight there will be a bonfire outside the castle and everyone will participate, including servants and commoners. It will be the perfect moment to kidnap her without being seeing”

“You are right, my Lord. However, I have done it before and one thing I learned about the noble women is that they always have their servant with them. So what about her servant?”

“You just have to worry about Lady Freya. Her servant will not be a problem. Meet me here at midnight with the merchandise,” ordered the prince.

“Leave everything to me, my Lord” with that, he despaired in the woods.

 

^^^^

 

After the hunt, Arthur excused himself from Merlin and his friends to find a certain servant.

He found Lily, Freya servant, in the laundry room. He waited for her to exit and then crashed against her. With a mortified expression he said

“I’m so sorry. This is very embarrassing for me. Could you help me find my rooms, please? I’m quit lost” now, Arthur was happy for all the times his father taught him the art of lying.

“Of course, Prince Arthur. It will not be a problem. This castle can be very complicate if you are not used to it”

She was a very nice girl, thought Arthur. Too bad, she will not be around for much longer.

Once they arrived to Arthur’s rooms and before Lily had the time to excuse herself from the handsome prince, he pushed her inside and after entering, he locked the door very quickly behind himself.

The girl was on the floor and she was looking at Arthur with frightened eyes. She was also shaking.

“m-my…L-Lord?”

“Shut up, servant” yelled the prince. He went towards her and without consideration; he took her red hair in his hand and dragged her to a chair. Once sat, he tied her up to it leaving free only one arm.

At first, Lily was too shocked to do something and then she started to struggle and scream

“No! What are you doing? HELP!!”

Suddenly Arthur gagged her with a rag that was in a corner on the floor and put a dagger on her throat. She sobbed.

“Listen well Lily. Now you will write a few letters for me. Ok? You will write them using your mistress’ handwriting, otherwise I will be force to hurt you, sweetie. Understood?”

Lily was freely crying by the end of Arthur’s speech.

“UNDERSTOOD?” Arthur shouted pressing the dagger deeper and making some drops of blood flowing.

The bound girl nodded and started to cry even more.

Arthur told her she had to write three letters pretending to be Freya: one to Freya’s father, one to Merlin and then a piece of paper to deliver to Lord Edward before the bonfire saying Freya was unwell and she will not take part to the feast.  
In the letters to Edward and Merlin, she had to write how her Lady was in love with a servant of the castle and that they could hide their sentiment no more. Therefore, when Merlin told her of his intention to announce the engagement in two days, she and her lover decided to elope during the feast, so no one would have seen them escaping.

The maidservant was so scared that she did was she was told and Arthur had to punish her just a few times.

While the prince was reading the letters again near the bed, the door used just by the servants was opened and his temporary servant came in and stopped after taking in the scene in front of him.

He watched Lily for a few seconds before turning his gaze to his master who was looking at him expecting.

“Your highness, what’s going on?”

“What’s your name, servant?” asked the prince

“Cedric, my Lord”

“Cedric… well Cedric, how much do you want to keep your mouth shut about this? Two sacks of gold would be enough?” asked Arthur as if he was talking about the weather.

No one knew it, but Cedric was a rat. He was always searching for something precious to steal. Therefore, he was more than happy to do everything his master wanted if he could have all that gold.

“It would be a great honor for me to be at your service, Prince Arthur” the bootlicker made a deep bow and the poor Lily lost the tiny spark of hope she felt when Cedric entered the chambers.

Arthur smirked at the servant, knowing very well his type. He was the kind of person who will do everything for you as long as you give him something, but as soon as you stop, he will betray you. This is why, he’d keep Cedric for now and dispose of him before returning to Camelot.

“I’m pleased we found an agreement, Cedric. Now, I have to finish reading this letters so, as a gift for your loyalty, you can have some fun with our dear Lily if you fancy it, but keep her bound… we don’t want her to escape. Then you will deliver the smallest letter to Lord Edward.”

At the prince’s words, Lily stared to struggle again but the ropes prevented it and the gag muffled her screams and cries.  
On the other hand, Cedric was over the moon and after thanking the prince, he went to the girl to untie her from the chair and then retie her on her back on the table.

While listening to the two of them, Arthur couldn’t stop thinking about how much he wanted to do the same with his love.

 

^^^^^

 

When Cedric finished raping the girl, Arthur told him to take the letter to Lord Edward saying Freya wanted to be left alone because she was a bit ill and that her servant will take care of her.

Once the servant was gone, Arthur went to the immobile woman on the table and started to gently pet her hair and caress her cheeks, removing the dry tears. Her eyes looked at the ceiling and were unfocused.

“Don’t worry, little one. Many people will be very contented because of what you did for me today and in a moment your sufferings will stop” saying this, he strongly hit her on the head with the pommel of his sword, knocking her out.

Careless if she was dead or not he wrapped the body in his sheets and put it inside his chest. By then, Cedric had returned and the prince asked:

“How can I get rid of the chest?”

“A way can be the bonfire. In addition to wood, it’s costume to used everything broken or unused to start the fire. I can put the chest in the stake. And by tomorrow it will be only ashes.”

“Good. Do it. Then come back to help me dress. I have to be seen by as many people as possible tonight and while I’m there, you will put the other letters in Prince Merlin and Lord Edward’s rooms.”

 

^^^^^

 

The feast was nothing Arthur had seen before. In the fields between the castle and the forest, a giant bonfire has been light up and around it, long tables were full of food. People were lying down on clothes in the fields and were eating and laughing. The royal family had a special space near the fire.

Arthur noticed that all the visiting nobles – such as Arthur- wore wonderful clothes, but the royals and the people of Draken wore short brown tunics that uncovered their legs, arms and a great part of the chest. They had put on tribal jewels, flowers and leaves.  
They were very exotic and dressed like that as a remind of their bond with nature.

Obviously, the most beautiful of them all was his Merlin. All that white skin shining under the moon was almost too much for Arthur, but after taking a deep breath and a sip of wine he went to him.

They chatted, laughed like little children and danced around the fire. And what a dance it was. It was a traditional druid dance: every couple had to rub against one other in a sensual way, while they went around the bonfire… never stopping touching each other.

Arthur was about to lose it – Merlin was just too perfect and beautiful- when he remembered to meet the man at the ruins.

With an excuse, he went away from the fire and went towards the castle, but at the last minute, he went fast in the forest.

At the ruins, he met the man; he was waiting sitting near a wagon. On it, there was a cage and inside, to Arthur’s delight, there was the soon former Lady Freya. She was wearing a ripped red nightdress. Moreover, she was chained and gagged.

“Ah Prince Arthur, finally. I was starting to worry you wouldn’t come”

“I apologize. How did it go?”

“It couldn’t have been better. As you thought, the castle was empty. I reached this little one’s room without a problem. She put a bit of a fight but it didn’t last long. She was like a kitten,” laughed cruelly the monster.

Giggling, the prince turned to the girl who seemed shocked to see the nice and handsome Prince of Camelot conspiring with her kidnapper.

“Good evening, my lady” said the Prince in a false sweet voice. “I’m sorry for the uncomfortable accommodations. However, as you can image, it was necessary. I don’t think my friend here introduced himself properly; after all you will spend a lot of time together in the future. This is Halig, a slave trader. He will take very good care of you”

By then, Freya had wide terrorized eyes and started to yell, but no sound passed the gag.

“Don’t fret yourself. You won’t be able to escaped and no one will search for you. I made sure they would believe you ran away with your forbidden lover and your servant Lily is currently burning in the bonfire.  
Now, obviously, you want to know what will happen to you and since I’m a gentleman, I will tell you. Halig will take you to his fortress in order to train you to your new life as a slave; that won’t be too difficult for you as you are already a dirty slut!!” Arthur angrily spitted the last word.

“When you will be well trained he will sell you to your new master. I asked him to find you the most disgusting and cruel one he knows as a personal favor. No need to thanks me” smiled Arthur to the girl who was paler and paler.

Straightening himself, Arthur thanked Halig and reminded him to be extremely harsh with this one.

Arthur was about to go away when Freya yelled something that sounded like a ‘why’. The prince went the nearer as possible to the girl, as much as the bars permitted it and, looking in her eyes, he whispered:

“Why? Because you were arrogant enough to think you could steal what was mine. I don’t like thieves and I hate when other people touch my things.  
Merlin is MINE!!  
In addition, a worm like you should have never believed you had a chance with him. So stupid! But don’t worry. I will make him happy and in no time, he will forget completely about you”

At that, Arthur walked towards the castle not wasting more of his time on the now-crying slave.

The wagon moved and the beautiful Lady Freya was lost forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 4: this is my first chapter with dark arthur.  
> what do you think? Too much?


	5. Will you be mine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is not my favourite, but I had to write it. Think of it as a bridge between the part where I introduced the characters and the Camelot part.  
> in the next 2 chapters I will focus on Arthur journey from a prince oppressed by his father to dark king. So dark Arthur will return in all his glory.
> 
> As always, I apologize for my mistakes.

The day after the bonfire, Merlin woke up more exhausted than the day before and with a great headache. He knew almost all the people in the city were in his same condition or worst. Therefore, he was thankful that no activities were expected for the day, in order to let people rest after the bonfire and before the most important day of the celebrations: the last day, when Merlin will be officially named Crown Prince.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Will, his manservant and best friend, putting his breakfast on the table and smirking to his master and friend.

“What?” Merlin asked with a hoarse voice due to his half-asleep state.

“My friend, I knew that you and Lady Freya were besotted, but to exchange letters just because you didn’t see each other for one evening, is too much for me. You are officially disgusting me,” Will said seriously but with fondness in his eyes.

“Will, I have the strongest headache of all times and I really have no idea what are you talking about? How much did YOU drink last night?”

“I can handle my alcohol perfectly, unlike someone else. Thank you very much. I am talking about the letter your beloved left you. I did not open it. I didn’t want to be sick!!”

Merlin looked toward the table and sure enough, there was a sealed letter. He got up and opened it, already melting with love for his soon-to-be wife.

While he was reading it, he slowly felt the blood freezing in his veins and his heart breaking. He had to read it three times before understanding what it said.

Will saw his fried freezing and his hands trembling.

“Merlin? What’s wrong?”

Suddenly, Merlin dashed out of the room and went to Freya’s chambers, unable to stop thinking about what he had just read. Freya left him for another and eloped with him to avoid marrying Merlin. ‘ _How could she? Why didn’t she tell me she had someone else?_ ’

Merlin was full of questions and was about to have a panic attack, when he arrived at the rooms. They had the door wide open. Inside he found Lord Edward, Gwaine and Balinor. Their white faces matched Merlin’s.

Coming inside, he asked, showing the letter, “What’s the meaning of all this?“

“I received the same letter Merlin” Edward said. The man looked like he had lost twenty years. “Freya is gone. All her possessions but her gold are here. Her servant Lily is gone too. She must have left with Freya since they could never be separate. They were very loyal to each other.”

“She could have been kidnapped, father” Gwaine pointed out, unable to accept that his dear little sister was gone forever.

“The letters were written with her handwriting, son. Moreover, this room is in order. Even if she was a bit sick, she would have been perfectly able to fight and this room does not show signs of a fight. In addition, I think that if she were kidnapped, the captor would have left a request of ransom. But we found nothing of the sort”. Even in shock, Edward was a very logical and strategic man.

The atmosphere in the room was very tense. Gwaine punched the wall releasing a frustrated scream.

Merlin found breathing difficult and without another word, he left the room. Nobody noticed his tears, save a bootlicker servant who went immediately to inform his master of the outcome.

 

^^^^

 

Arthur had never slept better in his life. The knowledge that his rival in love was gone made him feel happier than ever.

Then Cedric entered the room and he was obviously eager to please his master by telling him the good news.

“Tell me Cedric. Has something happened that involved Lady Freya? Have you watched her rooms like I asked you?”

“I did, my Lord. And I’m pleased to inform you that everyone believes the lady eloped with her mystery lover”

Smiling wide, Arthur said “Very good. Excellent. And how was the Prince?”

“Devastated. He was crying”

“Thank you, Cedric. You can help me dressing and then you can have the day off”

Arthur, now fully dressed, went to look for Merlin. It was time to start the second part of his plan: giving Merlin a shoulder to cry on and have his absolute trust and consequently, his love.

 

^^^^

 

Merlin was sat on a trunk by the lake behind the castle, watching intensely the water moving, when at some point someone sat beside him. It was Arthur.

“Hey Merlin. I heard about Lady Freya. I am so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?” Arthur didn’t have to fake his concern since he didn’t like to hurt his love, but he reminded himself that it was necessary in order to live a long and happy life with his Merlin.

“Don’t tell me. Everyone in the castle already know?”

“Not everybody. Most of the guests are still dead to the world, but the few already up like me had heard of something going on”

“Great, just great. I’m celebrating my birthday, tomorrow will be the most important day of my life, the love of my life left me without a second thought and everyone, including my foreign guests, will soon know about it” Merlin almost shouted the last part.

“I know it’s difficult, Merlin. Nevertheless, as a Prince, you cannot show weakness, especially now that all the representatives of the kingdoms are here. You have to be stronger than ever and go around with your head held up. I know you don’t believe it now, but everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

Merlin was impressed by what Arthur said and for the first time that day, he felt a bit of hope for the future. He would have never thought he would find such a great friend in the Prince of Camelot. For that, he was grateful.

Merlin learned forward and put his head on Arthur’s shoulder.

“What are you doing, Merlin?”

“It pains me to say it, but you are right Arthur. I’m a prince and I need to go on with my life and show strength. Nevertheless, I still need a moment before carrying on. Can you let me have it? Please?”

Arthur was waiting for this moment. The moment Merlin understood what he needed the most was Arthur and was comfortable enough to share with him this episode of weakness. Difficulty restraining his excitement, the prince of Camelot put Merlin fully against his chest and hugged him. If Merlin were not so distracted crying, he would have noticed Arthur softly sniffing his hair.

After some minutes, Merlin stopped sobbing and, murmuring against Arthur’s neck, asked

“Are you hugging me?”

“Shut up, Merlin”

 

^^^^

 

Arthur suggested to Merlin that as much people as possible should see him, so they wouldn’t look at him with pity or consider him pathetic.

That’s why the two princes found themselves walking around the entire city.

Arthur asked Merlin to show him Drakaria. They strolled along the lake; in the woods Merlin let Arthur playing with the baby dragons, one of them kept following Arthur like a lost puppy until they were outside the forest and Merlin ordered him to go back to his nest. They visited the local fair in the citadel. It was full of merchants ready to display their products, taking advantage of the presence of the visiting nobles.

Both of them had the time of their life and ended up throwing pieces of sweet bread to each other and chasing each other.

Merlin couldn’t stop but noting that, since the hug by the lake, Arthur used every opportunity to touch him. His hand staying longer than necessary on Merlin’s hair when he took away some leaves, he took his hand to drag Merlin to see a stand or used his thumb to remove some cream from Merlin’s face.

Merlin considered it strange, but if Arthur were a touchy person with his friends, Merlin wouldn’t say a thing.

 

At the end of the day, Arthur accompanied Merlin to his rooms. Before taking his leave Merlin said

“Thank you Arthur for not letting me be alone today. You are a very good friend”

“Trust me Merlin, the pleasure was mine” and with that he came forward and kissed Merlin on the lips. It was a slight touch of lips and it lasted less than a second. Arthur pulled back and almost ran to his chambers. If he stayed there longer, he would have lost control.

Merlin was shocked by the way things developed. He started to guess Arthur’s intentions were to be more than friends.

Merlin entered his room and started to think. He couldn’t image being with the other prince in that way, but how could he tell him without losing his friendship? He liked Arthur as a friend very much, but nothing more.

Merlin needed more time to find a solution, so he decided to avoid Arthur the next day and then to give him an explanation after the feast.

 

^^^^

 

True to his words, Merlin spent the next day avoiding the prince of Camelot. Thanks to the importance of the ceremony that will happened that evening, it wasn’t a difficult task. He was engaged all day long in trying clothes, his new crown and his speech and doing the practice of the ceremony. His mother was particularly fussy about his hair.

Sometimes during the day, either Will or Cedric would came to him to inform him that Prince Arthur asked his presence to join him in different activities, such as breakfast, riding and pick-nicking. Every time Merlin had a reasonable excuse to refuse the invite. He felt bad doing that to his friend, but at that moment, he had to think about things that were more important.

 

When the time to begin the ceremony arrived, Merlin nervously paced in the antechamber of the Throne Room, waiting for his father's call to enter.

Then Arthur, dressed his best, entered the little room and took Merlin’s hands in his.

“Merlin, love. How are you feeling?”

“What are you doing here?” this wasn’t the right moment to have Arthur near him.

“I’m only here to make sure you are ok and not thinking about running away like the big girl you are” Arthur joked, sensing the tense vibes from Merlin. “Furthermore, we need to talk about what to say to your father about our intentions after the celebration”

“Our intentions?” Merlin was very confused and a bit afraid about where this conversation were leading.

“Yes. I would like to tell your father as soon as possible that tomorrow you will come to Camelot with me, so you can become acquainted with your future court and then we can get married,” Arthur explained as if it was obvious.

Merlin was speechless. He had no intention to get married to ARTHUR, moreover he was going too fast and was starting to scare Merlin. He had to be stopped.

“Arthur, I’m sorry, but I don’t see you that way. I consider you a great friend, almost like my best friend, but nothing more. I’m sorry if I gave you a different impression. Also, I still think about Freya, despite the fact that she left me”

In a second, Arthur’s face fell and a dark shadow appeared where before there was a bright smile. Merlin tried to step back, but Arthur took his wrists in a painful grip. Merlin whimpered.

“Merlin, I understand that now you are nervous and confused because of your big day, but I don’t like when people joke about things so important” Arthur had madness in his eyes, even though his voice was creepily calm. “That’s why, I’ll give you a second chance to tell me how happy you are to return to Camelot with me and to get married”

Merlin was slighting shaking, but he had to remember he was a prince and he wouldn’t show weakness in front of this mad man. It was ironic, as that was what Arthur himself told him that very same day.

Strengthen his back and keeping high his chin, he looked at Arthur straight into the eyes and, no caring to hurt him anymore, he said, “I’m NOT coming to Camelot with you and I am certainly NOT going to marry you, Arthur Pendragon. So I will ask you only once to get your hands off me and to stay away from me”

Before Arthur could say something else, Will entered the room to tell Merlin it was time. Freeing his hands, Merlin exited and walked the navel to his King to become Crown Prince.

During the coronation, Merlin was too aware of the angry gaze he felt to his back, but he wouldn’t be scared of Arthur and his possessiveness. Now he was the Crown Prince of Draken and he had to be strong for his people and for himself.

The feast was the most joyful of the last years. The king and queen were proud of their amazing son and the nobles couldn’t stop toasting to their prince.

Gwaine was the wildest. He and Merlin talked that morning and vowed to one other that they would remain friends to the day they died, despite Freya. Maybe even more friends than before.

Merlin used all his will to ignore Arthur.

 

^^^^

 

Hours later, Merlin was a bit dizzy and he was walking back to his bedroom when someone grabbed him and his back collided with the wall. Even without looking, he knew who it was.

“Now darling, I don’t like to be ignore, especially by you. I let you think about us for a lot of time, so I’m going to ask for the last time. Will you be mine?”

Merlin looked at Arthur’s expressionless face

“For the last time, my answer is no. And I told you to stay away from me”

Arthur stepped back and darkly said

“Very good. I will go back to Camelot and stay away from you… for now. However, my love, I will come back for you one day and you will not be able to escape. You will be MINE!”

He kissed Merlin forcefully and possessively and then he was gone.

Merlin sat on the floor and took his knees to his chest.

He knew it was only the beginning.


	6. Long live the king?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: dark arthur, minor characters death

Arthur spurred his horse to high speed during the return journey. For his fellow knights, it was obvious to see that their prince was furious. He had been like that since that morning; when Arthur announced they were going back to Camelot immediately. As soon as their things were ready, they departed without saying goodbye to the royals.

All Arthur could see was red. He found breathing very difficult due to all the anger he felt. He freed his frustration riding faster and faster. However, he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened in the last hours.

After Merlin had rejected him, Arthur was more than keen to kidnap him and to take him back to Camelot by force. However, he had to change his mind, not for lack of will, but because he knew that soon Balinor would have taken him back, since he had a bigger army, and Arthur wanted Merlin with him forever.  
That’s why Arthur wanted to return as soon as possible. He had to increase the number of his men, so he would be able to take over Draken, Merlin would be his and no one would get in his way.

Of course, he didn’t forget about that worm of Cedric. He knew too much and he was such a disgusting rat that he had to be eliminated. The morning after the feast, he asked the manservant to accompany him for a walk saying he needed to clear his mind after all the alcohol. When they reached the cliff above the lake, Arthur acted. With the speed of a warrior, he tied Cedric’s wrists together behind his back and then he did the same to his ankles. Cedric was confused and started to scream, but they were too far from the castle, moreover almost everyone was still sleeping.

“M…my Lord… please? What have I done wrong?”

“Oh, you didn’t done anything wrong, Cedric… well, not yet. That’s the problem. I know your kind. You will betray me as soon as it’s convenient to you. Therefore, I’m going to prevent it. Better now than later. Right?”

Saying that, Arthur tied a big stone to Cedric’s ankles and, without hesitation, pushed the man down the cliff. As Arthur watched him despairing in the depth of the lake, he thought how much he would have loved seeing the worm’s struggles while drowning slowly and painfully.

 

Back to the present, the prince saw the white towers of his castle and told Leon and Ethan, who had recovered and was proud of his first battle scar, to go faster.

 

^^^^

 

As soon as he arrived, he was told his father was waiting for him in the throne room. There, he found the king, as always sat in his throne, and his half-sister Morgana wearing her light green dress. It reminded Arthur how a snake his sister had become.

Seeing his son entering alone, the first thing Uther asked was

“Well?? Where is Prince Merlin?”

“Father, my knights and I are fine, thank you for your concern.” Arthur had to force himself not to roll his eyes at his father.

“Don’t be such a child Arthur! You had a mission… so where is he?”

Arthur had to control his ever-present anger remembering his love “Unfortunately, Prince Merlin refused my hand in marriage and…”

“Oh poor baby. The little prince didn’t want you? Tell me dear brother, how will you be able to convince your people to follow you when you are king, if you can’t even impress one single man?” Morgana false sweet voice was mocking him more than his father’s disappointed eyes.

“Morgana, my dear, leave us.” Uther always seemed a different person when he interacted with Morgana and Arthur hated it more than anything else.

She stood up and walked toward the main doors. When she passed her brother, she gave him an evil smirk, emphasised by her red lipstick. Once out, the king carried on

“I have to say I’m very disappointed Arthur. I hoped that due to the easiness of the mission you would succeed without problems. Guess I was wrong.”

“I’m not done yet, father. I didn’t give up. Since Merlin doesn’t want to marry me, I want to do it by force.”

“How? And why haven’t you done it already?”

“As you told me once, Draken army outnumbered ours, so I couldn’t take him while I was there. His father would have come after us immediately. In addition, I doubt you want to anger King Balinor as things are now. Our only chance to defeat Balinor and for me to marry Merlin is to have more men than them. Our battle techniques are stronger than theirs.”

“I have already told you. No commoner will become a knight of mine!!” Uther shouted. “And now, because of you, Draken will never be mine. Expect to get married soon to some princess. At least we can use your good looks to our advantages, since you are good for nothing else.”

The king stood up and walked fast to the door, but before opening it, he turned to look at his son

“I can’t believe I lost the love of my life, my beloved Ygraine, to end up with a failure like you. Why can’t you be more like Morgana? She is perfect and efficient”

He exited, leaving a shocked Arthur behind. The prince’s heart filled with sadness for what his father thought of him. However, after a while, Arthur replaced the sadness with spite and hate.

If Uther don’t help him taking over Draken and Merlin, then Arthur will need to be in a position above all others, so he could do want he wanted. And the highest rank was the King.  
It was time for a change in the leadership and Arthur was more than ready. He loved taking over while he was in Draken, planning and having no one opposing him and his decisions.

It was time for another plan.

 

^^^^

 

When Arthur entered his chambers, he noticed his table was full of food and a warm bath was ready for him. He was very confused because Morris, his manservant, was an idiot and could never have thought to prepare a bath before the prince commanding it.  
He found his answers in the form of a skinny boy with a serious face that appeared behind him.

“Welcome back, Sire. I hope the trip was an enjoyable one. If you allow me, I would like to help His highness with his bath.”

“Who are you?”

“George, sire. At your service. I’m your new manservant.”

“What happened to Morris?”

“He was given to Sir Kay, my Lord. The king thought I was a more suitable servant for a prince.  
If I am free to speak, my Lord, I would like to ensure you that you will never find a most loyal servant than me. I would do literally everything for my master” George bowed deeply at that.

Arthur was a very good judge of character and understood without doubt that George was more loyal than a dog and the prince was sure that loyalty will be useful in the future.

“If you really meant that, George, I am going to tell you my intentions, how you can help me and what will happen to you if dare to betray me. In the meantime, you can help me washing”

 

^^^^

 

Everything was ready. Arthur had to ask Leon’s help too and the knight accepted, even thought he had been reluctant at first

“Sire, you know I’m loyal to you. I consider you a great leader and you are the only one I will gladly die for. But, he is your father!”

“I know, Leon. However, he will take Camelot to his downfall because of his stubbornness. I need to stop him. For Camelot. I know I will be a better king than him. I need your help, old friend! Are you with me?”

For a few minutes, the knight looked intensely to his friend, then he let go of a long breath

“I will, my lord. I will always watch your back. I only ask you not to make me hurt the king directly. After all I took an oath.”

"I understand. Don’t worry, all you have to do is taking the afternoon shift at guarding the west gate in a week time, the one used only by the royals in order to avoid the downtown to go to the woods. When the time comes, you will let my servant exiting and entering from that gate and later saying you saw the king rode in the forest through there. Ok?”

“Your servant?”

“Yes. George will be in the woods doing another part of the plan. When he finishes he need to return without being seeing. That gate is perfect”

“You can count on me, Sire.”

After a week, they acted. Arthur invited his father for lunch in his chambers with the excuse to apologise for his failure. The two of them ate in silent and by the end, Arthur suggested to his father to taste the wine he brought from Draken. Uther eagerly drank the sweet wine, not noticing Arthur wasn’t drinking it. When he noticed, he narrowed his eyes

“Why aren’t you drinking?”

“Well… because I don’t want to fall asleep as you will in a few seconds” smirked Arthur.

“What are…?”

Uther didn’t manage to finish the sentence before collapsing on the floor unconscious.

Arthur stood up and watched his father without emotions. George stood beside him. Together they undress the king of his more recognizable clothes, such as his cape, his gloves, his jacket, his necklace, the seal ring and his crown.  
Arthur turned to George

“Take these clothes and objects and put them on the man you killed and hide yesterday in the forest. Is he as I asked you?”

“He is very alike the king, my lord. Furthermore when I will finished scaring his face and body and putting on these clothes, no one would see the different” George was proud of himself.

“Excellent! Now go. Remember to use the west gate; Leon will be there. If everything goes as planned, you will be the king’s manservant very soon”

“What will you do with the king? Someone may see the body”

“Don’t worry about it. This room is full of secrets”

George went and Arthur walked to the fireplace. No one but the king and the Crown Prince knew that the wall at the far end of the fireplace was actually a secret door. It was built just in the king and prince’s rooms to allow a quick escape. Indeed, the tunnel behind the door lends to the deeper level of the catacombs. From there, other hide passages lend to the outside.  
Arthur put his father’s body on his shoulder and went through the secret door.

 

When Uther was conscious again, he noticed he was lying down on a hard surface. Looking around himself, he was horrified to realize he was inside a stone grave and his son was looking down at him with a satisfied smile.

“Good. You are finally awaken, father. I was getting bored”

“Arthur, what the hell does this mean?” Uther shouted trying to get up and then taking notice of the ropes confining him to the bottom of the grave.

“This is your entire fault. You gave me no choice. You should have done what I asked you. But no, you had to be stubborn and unreasonable as always and this is the consequence of your actions. For the love of Camelot and Merlin, I need to rule and you need to die”

Anger had left the king, he watched his son with wide eyes and confusion

“Then, why didn’t you just poison me or something? Why this?”

“This is just my way to make you suffer as I suffered. In your last days alive, you’ll know what it feels like to suffocate, to struggle to be free and to scream and cry hoping someone will hear you. But it will never happen. We are deep in the catacombs where nobody goes. You will know what I felt all my life. I screamed, I cried but you never listened to me. You suffocated me with your tyranny and judgments.  
You told me I let you down as a son; well you failed me as a father”

“son…”

“And since you told me you preferred my mother to me, I decided to satisfy your wish. In a few days, you will be together again. See it as my gift for you. After all, you’ll give me a kingdom”

“You will not get away for this. People will found out what you have done!!”

“By tomorrow, the people will grieve for the tragic death of their king; killed by a wild beast while out in the forest. If by any chance, someone like Gaius will find out the man I disguised as you was not killed by the beasts, I will just have to accuse someone of your murder.  
Maybe Morgana”

Uther felt panic and whispered “no…”

“Image it. The poor daughter ignored and hide for years by her father, who was ashamed of his past behaviors and consequently, ashamed of her. In addition, he chose her little brother as his heir, when she should have been his choice, since she is the elder child. This is why she went on the path of revenge for what should have been hers by birthright and ripped out by her dear father. What do you think, father?”

“You can’t do this!!!”

Arthur laughed aloud seeing the desperation in his father’s eyes “I can and I will, if necessary. I’ll take care of your kingdom.  
Goodbye Uther Pendragon”

“NO, ARTHUR STOP, PLEASE. NOOOOO….”

Arthur closed the stone top of the anonymous grave. His father’s screams were only muffle sounds now. He should die in about three agonized days.

Arthur darkly smirked at the thought and turned to go back to his rooms, thinking

‘ _Long live the King… Long live to me_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 6: Long live the king?


	7. Morgana, the Witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in the next chapter, merlin will be back.
> 
> WARNINGS: dark arthur, no-graphic torture, rape, implied future rapes, bondage, sex slavery, blackmail
> 
> IMAGINES ARE NOT MINE!

             

^^^^^^^

 

In the afternoon, after Arthur had come back from the catacombs, he went to attend to the council meeting, ready to lie to the other noblemen. He entered the council room and took his usual place at the right of the king. When it was the right time to be concerned for his father’s lateness, he asked

“Has the king inform someone he was going to be late?”

“No, my Lord” Geoffrey answered

“Guards! Could you find king Uther, please?”

“Yes, Prince Arthur” the guard bowed and disappeared from the room

“Gentlemen, we should start by listing the problems to discuss, so we will ready to beginning the meeting as soon as my father joins us,” the prince suggested, eager to lead his first council, since he was already the unofficial king.

Immediately the oldest men dismissed his idea, saying he was too young to take over a meeting and that it was for the best to wait for the king. Arthur gritted his teeth and squeezed his fists under the table.

“Of course” Arthur didn’t want to have too much attention to himself knowing what was coming, so he backed down and fell silent ‘waiting for’ Uther and thinking about which members of the council to fire first.

His gaze ended up on the throne. His throne. Once king, he will commission a second one for Merlin, identical to his own. He could clearly see the two of them sitting side by side on their thrones ruling their kingdom. Arthur will held his love’s hand, sometimes whisper endearments to him and even help him getting up when he will be too heavy with child to doing it alone. Imaging his Merlin pregnant was giving him a hard on. So he reluctantly stopped.

The doors opened and Sir Leon came in.

“Sire, I apologize for the interruption. I wish to inform you that I saw the king rode toward the woods using the west gate just after midday”

Arthur smirked “thank you sir Leon. Go back to your duties and if my father is not back before sunset, send a search party”

Once Leon exited, Arthur turned to the council and said that since they didn’t wish to have him lead the meeting, they will postpone it to the next day.

 

^^^^^

 

Half an hour after sunset, the patrol returned and Arthur’s presence was required to the physician’s chambers.  
Before entering Gaius’ lab, he took a deep breath and put on the right facade.  
Inside, there was just Gaius bend toward a body on the patients table.

“Gaius? What’s going on?”

“Arthur, my boy. I fear something terrible happened. Your father…”

“My father? What happened to him? Did they find him?” he quickly asked

“The knights had found him in the forest, my Lord” Gaius sighed, “Arthur, I’m afraid your father was attacked and killed by some wild beast. He has multiple scratches and deep injuries to his face and chest. If it wasn’t for his clothes and crown, we probably wouldn’t have been able to recognize him”

“What?” it was only a whisper. The prince had wide, confused and wet eyes.

Gaius let the prince see the body and Arthur kneed next to it and, hiding his face to its chest, started to cry. That was what Gaius thought. Actually, he was almost laughing. He stayed like that for a while, acting the part of the heartbroken son.

“My boy, I know you are sad and hurt and that this will put many responsibilities on your shoulders.”

“I’m not ready to be King, Gaius” lied Arthur.

“You are young, but I believe in the man you became and I know you will make me and your father proud”

Arthur pretended to whip the tears away “Thank you. I will need you more than ever from now on… I should inform the Council and Morgana”

“If it’s not a problem, Arthur, I would like to ask you not to tell anybody what happened, at least not until tomorrow”

Arthur stiffed “why?”

“I don’t want to alarm you, but I suspect there’s more about the king’s death. You see… after a quickly observation, I think Uther had already been dead when the beast scarred him. However, I can’t be sure until I examine the body carefully. It will probably take me all the night.  
That’s why it’s best to wait. Early tomorrow morning, I will inform you about my discoveries and then you can act as you see it fit, my lord”

“I understand. I want to know as soon as possible what happened to my father. If it was really a beast, I want to know which one so I can hunt it down. If it was… something else… I want justice”

“You will not be the only one, sire. Now, take this tonic. It will help you to sleep”

Arthur nodded and went away, smiling to himself. He called for George and told him to take a letter to a man who lived in a near village. The prince will need his service soon.

 

^^^^

 

Next morning, Arthur was up very early and waited for Gaius. The man didn’t take long to show up.

“What can you tell me?”

The physician was very pale and worn out “My suspicions were right. King Uther had already perish when the scarring began. He was stabbed in the heart and shouldn’t have suffered”

To make it more credible; Arthur remained silent for a while. “Are you saying my… my father was murdered?”

“I’m afraid so” Gaius lowed hid head.

Arthur put his head in his hands. “Thank you, Gaius. Would you be so nice to inform the Council, Princess Morgana and the Court to gather in the throne room? They need to know”

Gaius bowed and left. Then, his servant entered saying the man would arrive tomorrow morning. Satisfied, Arthur went to meet his court.

 

The prince sat on his father’s throne and when everyone was there, he started to speak, wearing a devastate expression on his face.

“Members of Camelot Court, I’m distressed and shocked to inform you that yesterday king Uther was killed in the forest. At first, we thought it was because of the attack of a beast but subsequently, our Court physician found out my father was stabbed to death before the attack”

Gasps and loud murmurings echoed in all the room, but then a voice emerged from the others. It was Morgana’s.

“You are a liar, Arthur Pendragon!” she came forward and stood in front of the throne. “You can fool everyone, but you can’t fool me. I can see it in your eyes… YOU KILLED THE KING!!” she shouted and pointed at him with a finger.

The other people were very confused and seemed not to know where to look. Arthur watched his sister as if she had just told him donkeys could fly.

“Morgana, I understand you are sad about what happened to father, but you are going too far. What proof do you have I killed him? And above all, why should I murder my own father?”

“To gain the throne obviously” Morgana didn’t expect her brother to retort to her accusations so cleverly and with a calm tone in his voice. She was used to see him having a tantrum like a child and then lowing his head and backing down, when someone criticized him.  
She wasn’t happy about the change.

“Obviously? Maybe it didn’t occur to you, but I’m king Uther’s heir. The fact that I will be king has always been undeniable. Why risk it?  
Between the two of us, you are the one with cause to want my father’s death. Furthermore, you know what they say: the first to accuse it’s usually the sinner”

The air was tense in the room. No one dared to speak while the royal siblings were starting at each other intensely.

“How dare you?” hissed Morgana.

“Oh I dare” turning to the Court, he continued, “Fortunately; I thought about a way to find out the truth. As soon as Gaius suggested the king had been murdered, I sent for Aredian.  
Many of you should remember him as a witch finder, but nowadays he is known as an expert in investigations and a master of interrogations and tortures. He will arrive by tomorrow morning and hopefully give my father justice”

Turning to Morgana, but speaking to everyone, he said, “I expect all of you and the People to collaborate and to not resist the interrogations. It will not be seen as good sign”

“What about you, dear brother?” asked Morgana harshly.

“I will be the first one to be examined by Aredian. I will go to him willingly. A king should always give the example”

With that, Arthur dismissed the Court and went back to his rooms, already knowing whom he wanted to destroy.

 

^^^^

 

Aredian arrived at the first lights of the new day and you could immediacy sense the air surrounding the city becoming colder and colder.  
The man, famous for making even the stronger willing men shivering, got off his cart and all the people in the courtyard could see him with his black clothes and hat. Next to him, stood another man, much younger than the former witch hunter was.

As the guards had informed Arthur of the arrival, he was already in the throne room with the audience of the day before.

“Welcome to Camelot, Aredian. My kingdom and I thank you for your availability in this dark moment for all of us”

The man bowed “My services have been and will always be at Camelot disposal. This by my side is my apprentice Alvarr; he will help me during the investigations.”

“We need all the possible help, due to the situation. A king has been killed and I want the culprit found and punished, no matter how. You can question everyone you suspect as long as you need”

“Thank you, your majesty. I’m pleased to have free rein on the matter. Do you have any suspect?”

For a second, Arthur found Morgana’s eyes before turning to Aredian

“My sister Morgana has charged me with the crime. Consequently, I wish to be the first to be questioned. I have nothing to hide”

“Good. If that’s the case; you can follow me to the dungeons, my Lord”

For the next two days, no one was allowed to see the prince as he was officially under accusation. However, the reality was very different.  
During that period, Arthur and Aredian had just talked about their plan to make Morgana confessed the murder. Aredian would keep taking people in for questions and in a few days, it would be the Princess’ turn.  
Then, the real plan would start.

 

The Council was relieved their future King had been recognized innocence. This way they could organize the succession. After Uther’s funeral, Arthur was officially crown King of Camelot in front of the entire Court and a livid Morgana.

‘Finally’ the new king thought while waving to the crowd from the balcony. ‘Now I can be free’

 

^^^^

 

As planned, Aredian asked Princess Morgana to join him in the dungeons for some question and, once the door of the torture room closed, the only thing you could hear were her screams.

 

Arthur dismissed a long meeting regarding the admission of commoners to Camelot knights Army.  
The oldest Council members had protested, saying something about how Uther would have disapproved. Arthur ended up announcing that it was time for some of them to leave their positions in the King Council to someone younger or keener to changes.  
The new Council, that gained Sir Leon and Gaius, was more open-minded and accepted the new law of the Knight Code enthusiastically.

Satisfied, King Arthur decided it was time to visit his sister who had still been in Aredian’s clutches for the past three days.  
It wasn’t long before he had arrived in front of the cell Aredian transformed in his personal torture chamber. Once inside, what he saw delighted him.

Morgana was completely naked and suspended by the ceiling in a hogtied position. Her ankles were attached to a spreader bar; she was blindfolded and had nipple clamps with a chain-applied torturing her breasts.  
On one hand, Aredian was deeply fucking her mouth and on the other hand, Alvarr was thrusting into her while pulling a wooden butt plug in and out her ass.

Arthur sat near and watched the show. He noticed her body was all cover by bruises and whipped marks.  
Despite the rough fucking and his sister’s muffled screams when Aredian pulled the chain of the clamps, the king didn’t feel any arousal. It was something he had already noticed since he came back from Draken. It seemed like he could feel no desire for anyone else but Merlin.  
Thankfully, a problem that will be resolve soon.

A whimper from Morgana returned Arthur to reality. Aredian had come and pulled out his dick from Morgana only when he was sure she has swallowed everything.  
Then he turned to Arthur

“My Lord, what a pleasant surprise to see you here”

“The pleasure is my Aredian. You have a very interesting way to question people”

The man pulled himself back in his pants and leered “You see, my Lord, some people’s stubbornness can be submitted only by humiliation and I’m more than happy to help in the process”

Arthur nodded not particularly interested about Aredian’s methods as long as he put up results.  
The king stopped in front of Morgana, whom Alvarr was still penetrating, and let the blindfold fall to the floor

“Hello sister. Look at you. Not so self-important now. Are you enjoying your stay?” smirked Arthur

“Go. To. Hell. Pendragon!!” hissed Morgana with a raspy voice

“it’s King Arthur or Your Majesty for you. Father didn’t teach you manners?”

“I know what you want, but I will never confess something I didn’t done. You are the murderer!!  
Moreover, you can’t keep me here forever, the Council won’t allowed it. And I promise you that once I’m free, you will pay for this” she said it with all the hate she could master, but she failed to frighten her brother because of the fact that a stranger was currently coming inside her.

Arthur caressed her cheek and whispered in her ear “we’ll see about that!”  
Straighten up, he turned to Aredian “A word, please”

The torturer told Morgana to clean Alvarr up and went out of the room. The last thing Arthur saw was the younger man going in front of Morgana and putting his dirty with her fluids cock in her mouth.

Outside in the corridor, Arthur asked if Morgana had said something useful

“She didn’t talk. She is a very stubborn and strong woman; I have to give her that. The only moment she showed weakness, was when she was under the effect of my hallucinogen drugs. I like to use them to weaken my ‘guests’ mind”

“What did she say?” Arthur was desperate to find Morgana’s Achilles’ heel.

“She kept repeating the same female name; like a prayer. She kept saying ‘Morgause’”

“Morgause? Never heard of someone with that name. I will do everything I can to find this woman. Whoever she is, she’s obviously important for my sister; therefore useful to us.”

Arthur returned to his chambers and summoned Leon.

“Leon, you need to find a woman called Morgause; she is somehow related to Morgana. I want to know everything about her. If you need to enter some castle, you can have George, since servants can walk wherever they want without being noted. Bring her here to me and put her in the west tower”

“I’ll do my best, Sire”

 

^^^^

 

Arthur knew Leon was his first knight for a reason. Almost a week later, Leon returned and told the king his guest was waiting in the west tower.

Before going to see the mysterious woman, Arthur asked him what he discovered about her

“You will never believe it, my Lord. This Morgause is actually Morgana’s half-sister from mother-side. She didn’t grow up in Camelot, that’s why we had never heard about her before.  
I found her in an isolated mansion on the border between Camelot and Essentir. She was there with king Cenred in person.”

“Why were they together? What does this have to do with Morgana?”

“It seems they are going to attack us. I heard they intended to poison King Uther, invaded Camelot with Morgana’s assistance and then make her Queen.”

Arthur was shocked. His sister wanted to betray them… Had betrayed them. She would have let hundreds of innocence die just to take the throne for herself. This was too much.  
With a newfound anger, the king marched inside the tower with his sword ready and walked, with a clear intent in his eyes, toward the blond woman who, as her sister, hold herself as if she was untouchable and above all others.  
And like Morgana, she was about to find out how wrong she was.

 

^^^^

 

A few hours later, Arthur went to see Morgana. When he was almost at the right door, it opened revealing a very contempt Aredian and Alvarr.

Arthur went inside and found Morgana hanging from the ceiling, still naked and with her arms above her head. As cum flowed from her cunt and ass, it was evident how the two men had used her this time.

He went closer and lowed her to the ground. She was watching him with so much disdain that if gaze could kill, Arthur would have been ashes by now.

“Give it up, Arthur. I will never bow and I will never break”

“Well sister, there, is where you are wrong. I have found your weakness” smiled Arthur

Morgana laughed, “You fool. I don’t have weaknesses. No one is important to me enough to become one.”

“Are you sure? Then I will just have to go and tell Morgause you don’t care”

Her smile was weeded out in an instant.

“Touch her and I swear I will destroy you, Arthur. I’ll put your head on a pole and watch the raven feasting with your eyes!!” the coldness in her eyes was almost unhuman.

“Her safety depends on you. If you are a good girl and do what I say, your sister will not have to fear anything from me. Fail and I will not be responsible of my actions.  
So, will you confess in front of the court your crimes toward Camelot and our father?”

Her breathing was very fast by then; she didn’t know what to do

“Come on, Morgana. I’m the king; I don’t have all day to play with you”

“Promise me you won’t hurt her”

“I promise”

“I’ll do it” Morgana lowed her head and was about to be sick. Her only hope was for her beloved sister to come back here to save her, once she was free and back to Cenred.

“See? It wasn’t that difficult, wasn’t it? Now put something on. The Court is waiting for us”

 

Two guards escorted Morgana toward her brother, sat on the throne and wearing his crown. At both side of the room, all the nobles she grew up with and was thought to consider inferior were watching her with disgust.  
How to blame them?  
The beautiful and flirty Princess Morgana was now just a filthy girl dress in rags.

She kneed in front of the king.

“Morgana Pendragon, I was told you have something to say to all of us. You can talk.”

“Your majesty and members of the court, I’m here to confess my crimes. I am the one who killed King Uther.”

Surprised gasps could be heard everywhere.

“Why sister? Why did you betray us?” Arthur was acting as the sad brother

“I only wanted what was rightfully mine. Uther deserved everything that happened to him”

For once, he agreed with her

“I’m sorry, sister. As much as I love you or wish not to do it, as King of Camelot, I have to punish you.

I, King Arthur Pendragon, sentence you, Morgana Pendragon, to live in the darkness, the same that took place in your heart.  
You will spend the rest of your life chained in the Black Room. It is situated in the deepest level of the dungeons, where windows do not exist. Your contacts with other people will be almost inexistent. During the years, I will order little punishments to be inflicted upon you.  
From now on, everyone must forget your name and call you The Witch to remember the path you chose.  
Take her away”

Arthur dismissed the Court and went to his room to change and to take the last present he wanted to give to his sister.

He descended the stairs to the darkness. The only lights were the torches in the corridor. At the end of which there was the heavy door of the Black Room.  
When he arrived, Morgana was already chained to the far wall of the room. It was slightly bigger than a normal cell, since it was create to contain a person for many years. It had a bed made of straw on the floor and a little desk with a chair.

He said to the guards to leave them alone.

“Do you like your new accommodations?” Arthur asked sarcastically

“They are a delight”

“Do you hate me, Witch?”

“You can’t begin to know how much I hate you, monster!” she could only feel hate and spite towards him.

Arthur snorted, “Your chain will allow you to move around the room up to the desk, but not the door. Food will be given to you once a day and water twice. The guards will not be able to enter, since I have the key and they will pass your food through the little hole on the door.  
I’ll sent a physician to check on you once in a while.  
I will permit you to have a torch inside the room during the first week and during the punishments; except these moments, it will be only darkness for you.  
Questions?”

“What kind of punishments?”

He smiled, “Every time an inhabitant of the city - be it a knight, a noble, a commoner or a peasant - will do his duty in an impeccable way, I will reward him or her by sending them here to have some fun with you… am I not a good king?”

“Just tell me, Arthur, why did you do it?”

“As you said, I wanted the throne and I wanted it now. Soon I will not be alone on that throne.  
Before I go, I wanted to give you one last present. I hope it will comfort you during the years down here”

Arthur put an object similar to a box on the table. A black towel covered it.

“When you are comfortable, open it. Goodbye, Morgana” Arthur exited the room and locked it, but he didn’t go far.

Morgana turned her gaze from the door to the strange object. Reluctantly she went to the desk and lifted the towel.  
What she saw froze her blood.

The object was a closed glass vase filled with a greenish liquid. Inside of it, bobbing in the liquid, there was Morgause’s head. She had been beheaded. The blonde-haired woman’s expression was one of full terror.

Morgana was paralyzed and when she fully understood, she screamed, as she never did before.  
If she had really been a witch as her new name implied, she would have broken windows and shaken the walls of castle with her scream full of pain.

Just outside the door, Arthur turned to return to his duties and laughed aloud while listening to his dear sister’s pain.

No one can fool the new king of Camelot and think to be able to get away with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have imaged Morgana's scream at the end of this chapter, as the one she did before disappearing with Morgause at the end of episode 3x13.


	8. A YEAR LATER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was meant to be longer, but I thought it was better this way.  
> next one will be hopefully longer.
> 
> the images are not mine!

      

 

*******************************

A YEAR LATER…

It had been a year since Uther’s death, Morgana’s imprisonment and Arthur’s coronation and Camelot couldn’t be a more thriving kingdom. Under Arthur’s rule, Camelot started to see the light at the end of the tunnel that was Uther’s reign.

Arthur’s plan to attack Draken had to be postponed, since the process of gain more soldiers ended up to be a long one. Hundreds of documents had to be written and send to every village and every corners of the kingdom; the new aspirant knights needed to learn basic training first and then training with the older ones to study the perfect techniques to defeat Draken’s warriors and beasts. The new knights’ hard work showed that Arthur was right: every man could have a great talent in sword fighting and became a great knight. Furthermore, Arthur noticed that the new ones were particularly devoted to him, due to the fact he gave them his trust.  
One in particular impressed the king.  
Elyan was the older brother of Morgana’s ex-maidservant, Guinevere. He was the blacksmith of Camelot and a secret very talented warrior. Arthur send him more than once to The Witch as a reward for his fast progresses.  
After six months, the king wanted to test his new Army; so he ordered them to attack Essentir, remembering King Cenred’s plan to invaded Camelot with Morgana’s help. Arthur was very proud of his men for destroying Cenred in just two days and took great pleasure in hanging the defeated king.

However, the changes didn’t concern just the knights but life in Camelot in general.  
King Arthur reduced the taxes for the peasants and made sure the nobles paid more than before; he allowed people of different social classes to get married to each other and he didn’t take the riches’ word as the absolute true; as a tragic episode, happened in the low town, proved.

One day, one of Uther’s old knights violated a peasant girl and was certain he could get away without consequences, as it was what usually occurred with Uther on the throne: no one could dare to insult or accuse a knight and, absurdly, the victims were the ones punished. However, with Arthur, things were different. Seeing the changes in the city, the young teenager girl and her brother, Daegal, found the courage to go and denounce the crime to the king. After the proper investigations, the man was found guilty and the king didn’t hesitate to inflict a punishment.  
He ordered the butcher to castrate the knight and made him knight eat his own penis in the courtyard in front of everyone, victim included.

Since that day, people started to love and respect their new king. He gave them hope, he allowed them to become important even if they weren’t of noble birth and he made them feel protect and loved, despite his cruel punishments. The message was clear: as long as you follow his rules and behave as a good citizen, you have nothing to fear from your king. Fail that and you will end up wishing you were never born.

It was probably what Morgana had been thinking deep down in her cell in the past year. Excepted the first week of imprisonment, she lived in absolute darkness. She was slowly losing her mind, knowing no one would save her.  
Her only comforts were the vase containing her sister’s head that she hugged every day when she was sleeping; the persons send to fuck her and the doctor her brother hired to looked after her.  
Gaius hadn’t feel comfortable in attending to the woman he had known since she was an infant in that conditions, so Arthur hired Doctor Edwin Muirden. The king told him he could do whatever he wanted to Morgana, as long as he made sure she wouldn’t birth bastards children; because the only babies with royal blood he wanted in Camelot were his future ones.

When the knights’ training progressed well and fast, Arthur asked Geoffrey of Monmouth to find for him all the maps of Draken present in the library. When they weren’t enough, he send spies to Drakaria to search for them and for secret passages in the castle.  
Once he had them, he studied them day and night.  
In four months, he knew every part of the castle, every passage, every town and village of the kingdom and Merlin’s most trusted friends’ relatives’ names and where they lived. He was sure he knew Draken almost better than Balinor himself did.

So, yes. Things were good in Camelot and the people thanked the Gods every days since the Kings’s coronation. And eleven months from that day, found Arthur on his best horse marching, ahead of the biggest army in all the kingdoms, towards Draken and his love.

^^^^

In Draken, things settled down after the frenetic four days of celebrations. Merlin fully embraced his duties as crown Prince and his subjects loved him very much, due to his natural kindness and strong devotion for the good of his people.

At first, Merlin was concerned about the possibility of Arthur’s return, especially since the news of King Uther’s death. He spend a lot of time looking at the horizon, afraid to see a red army, but it never happened; so he convinced himself Arthur had forgot about him and that his desires for Merlin were just a temporal crush.

Gwaine had moved to Drakaria almost immediately after Merlin’s birthday. His father had started to abuse alcohol after Freya disappeared and had became a very different person; so to avoid further arguments, Gwaine decided to live in the capital.

Merlin and Gwaine’s friendship was stronger than ever and the prince noticed a change in the way his friend looked at him. it wasn’t long that saw Gwaine confessing he wanted more than friendship from Merlin and that he would take care of Merlin and never abandon him as Freya did. Merlin was shocked, but he told Gwaine he saw him just as a friend.  
After a few second in silent, Gwaine smiled and told him Merlin didn’t know what he was missing and that, compared to nothing, he fancied to remain friends.  
It took them a few months to get over the awkwardness but then they became inseparable.

Everything changed one evening, when the bells announced the arrival of an enemy army.

^^^^

Camelot army managed to arrive at Emrys castle more easily that they thought.  
The plan was simple: the major part of the army leaded by Arthur would distract the Draken soldiers, while Leon’s smaller group would enter the castle using the passage near the cliffs of the lake. Once inside, they would open the door for Arthur.

The king send George inside with a white flag to deliver a message to Balinor and Merlin.  
A few minutes after his return with the royals rejection of Arthur’s conditions, Leon opened the main doors and Arthur could finally walked in.

He smirked and thought ‘ _I’m coming, my love_ ’

^^^^

Hearing the bells, both Merlin and Gwaine dashed to the throne room, where his father and his most trusted knights were already there; Lancelot included.

“Father, what’s happening? Who’s attacking us?”

“Camelot. They have surrounded us, but for now they aren’t hurting the people… just the knights” Balinor was obviously worried

“How? Camelot was never stronger than us!”

“I don’t know, son. The only things I know is that there are thousands of them and they are strong, very strong”

In that moment, a guard announced that a Camelot messenger asked to deliver a letter from King Arthur.

George entered and gave the letter to Sir Richard, Balinor’s first knight. He started reading it.

_‘King Balinor,_   
_If you surrender without fighting, I promise not to hurt your people or anyone under your command. Surrender and everything will end bloodless spread. You can’t win against us._   
_I will go back to my kingdom peacefully, if you swear an oath of alliance to me and give me your son, Prince Merlin, to take back to Camelot._   
_I only want what’s mine._

_To Merlin, my love_   
_I will give you half an hour to come to me on your own free will and there will not be tragic consequences. Your rejection will mean war._   
_Come with me and we will be happy for the rest of our lives._   
_I hope you will chose wisely, sweetheart_

_With all my love_   
_Arthur Pendragon, king of Camelot’_

 

The room was deadly silent and Merlin was petrified. All this was because of him. Because Arthur wanted him. He was about to be sick.  
Balinor wasn’t better. He took the letter from Sir Richard and ripped it up.

“Tell your king this is my answer. My son will never be his!!” he shouted angrily

Once George was gone, Balinor turned to Merlin

“You have to go. No matter where, but you have to go far away from here. Take Gwaine, Lancelot and Will with you”

“No! I can’t leave you. I’m the crown prince. It’s my duty to protect my people”

“He wants you, Merlin. And I’ll be dammed if I’ll let him touch you. Please, son, do it for me, for your mother and for Draken. He will defeat us, but at least you will be safe”

“He is right, darling” Hunith walked to stand next to her husband in front of their son. “As long as you are safe, Draken will never be defeated”

Before Merlin could answer, the same guard entered and locked the door, shouted

“They are in”

“Go Merlin, please” Balinor begged.

Giving up, Merlin nodded. His mother kissed his forehead

“I love you, my baby. Remember, come what may, our love for you is bigger than the sky, deeper than the sea, stronger than the trees of the forest and eternal as magic is”

Merlin had wet eyes. This was what his mother used to tell every time he was afraid as a child.  
And it managed to fill his heart of his parents’ love.

Balinor hugged him “Go, now. Use the secret golden door to escape. We will distract them for as long as we can. He will not take you”

“I doubt it grandly,” an evil voice said.

Everyone turned toward the voice and sure enough, King Arthur was at the now open doorway, looking at Merlin like a predator.

“ _Arthur_ ” whispered the Draken prince, instinctively stepping back

“Hello, love. I missed you” grinned Arthur


	9. Arrival in Camelot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some of your comments made me realized that I may not have explained well the role of magic in this fic.  
> Magic is almost extinct. The only people who still have a bit of it are the dragonlords. They can communicate with nature and do simple magic. Since magic is almost over, if they try to use too much of it, they could end up with physical damages or worst. 
> 
> in this chapter, I will quote a piece of a poem, but I will talk about it in the notes at the end.
> 
> thank you for your comments and kudos
> 
> WARNINGS: characters death.
> 
> IMAGES ARE NOT MINE

 

         

 

^^^^^^^^^^^

 

“Arthur” whispered the Draken prince, instinctively stepping back

“Hello, love. I missed you,” grinned Arthur

All the people in the room were so focused on red king that they didn’t notice the knights of Camelot, until they had blocked the Draken people, squeezing them tightly with their arms. Will was also taken, while he was trying to enter the throne room to save Merlin.

Merlin tried to wiggle out of Elyan’s grip. He tried harder, when he saw Arthur coming toward him.

“Stay away from him, you bastard!” Balinor shouted and struggled with all his strength, seeing the enemy walking to his son.

However, the king of Camelot didn’t hear him. He could only see Merlin. It was like there were just the two of them.

“Merlin, my dear sweet Merlin. You are even more beautiful than I remembered. You have no idea, how much I have waited for this” Arthur’s voice was full of lust.  
He was about two steps from Merlin. He opened his arms, ready to take Merlin from Elyan; but suddenly, an inhuman power threw him and his men against the walls.

Merlin turned and was just in time to see the gold light fading from his father’s eyes.

“Merlin, go!!” Balinor shouted

“Father, no…” Merlin didn’t want to leave his family

“Please, son, GO!! I love you, Merlin”

With still a bit of hesitation, Merlin and his friends, Lancelot, Gwaine and Will ran from there, using a side-door.  
While they were running, Gwaine asked Merlin

“Where are we going?”

“The west tower. There, we will use the Golden Door, a gate that will take us at the other side of the forest”

When they were almost there, some of the Camelot knights of the throne room appeared behind them.

 

^^^^

 

As soon as Arthur saw Merlin escape, he screamed “NOOOOO!!” and tried to go after him, but an invisible weight pinned him on the wall.

He looked up and saw King Balinor’s eyes shining gold with magic

“I. Will. Not. Let. You. Take. Him.” Balinor was panting, due to the extended use of magic.

Noticing the other king’s hassle, Arthur smirked

“You can’t stop me, Balinor. I am ready to go to the end of the world to have Merlin. He can hide, he can run, but one day he will need to stop and I will be there to take him away with me. Besides, watching you now, I don’t think you will be even there to see that day”

As to confirm him, Balinor fell to his knees with a hand on his heart. He was sweating and breathing hard. Hunith was immediately by his side.

As soon as Arthur felt the barrier weaken, he order his knights to go after the Prince.  
He turned to Leon

“Take the King, the queen and the others to the dungeons”. Then, he sat on the throne.

 

^^^^

 

Merlin and his friends managed to arrive in the tower and to barricade the door. They could hear the knights on the other side trying to break it.

“So, where is this magic doo? There’s nothing here,” Gwaine asked looking around

“Indeed. There isn’t. Well, not yet” answered Merlin, enjoying his friends priceless faces, despite the situation

“WHAT??” all the three of them shouted, looking confused and a bit frighten at the idea to be locked in a tower without an exit.  
Merlin went toward a wall

“I need to create it. When this castle was built, magic was strong and my ancestor enchanted a door to appeared from nowhere”

“How will it appeared from air?” this time it was Lancelot asking

“The door will show itself, when a drop of the blood of a Emrys will touch the wall facing the sun”

Merlin took the knife from his belt and scratched a finger. He put it on the wall and immediately, a gold shining door came into view on it.

“What the hell? Mate, this is amazing. I love your castle and I do it in a pathologic way” Will said.  
He and the others wore awed expressions.

The prince smiled and opened the magic door. On the other side, they could see the end of the Enchanted Forest. A deer escaped, startled by their appearance.

As they were about to exit through it, the knights of Camelot entered the room and one of them, seeing them escaping, shoot an arrow, which passed through the gap, as the door was closing behind the runaways.  
Once in the forest and the door closed, the four friends signed in relief.  
Then, they heard a groan. Merlin turned around and saw Will collapsing on the ground, holding his side. The arrow had perforated it.

“Nooo, Will” Merlin dashed to his friend’s side.

He pulled out the arrow and pressed on the wounded trying to stop the bleeding. He murmured the few healing spells he knew and was able to performed, but nothing happened. Something was wrong.

“Shit. It’s poised,” said Gwaine, after analyzing the weapon. He threw it away in a frustration.

“No, no, Will. It’s ok. You will be fine. I will not give you time off, not now, you lazy servant”

Will managed a little laugh “of course not. What would you do without me? You crying baby. I always had to watched your back”

Merlin felt a knot in his throat. “That you did. You may be a lazy servant, but you are the best friend a man could ever hope to have. I’m happy you chose me”

“The honor was mine, Merlin. I know you will be a great a king, since you are already the best man ever to walk the Earth. Thank you, my friend”

With that, Will closed his eyes forever and Merlin embraced him and cried.

 

He stayed there for what seemed like a lifetime. Then, Gwaine hugged him.

“You need to let him go, Merl. Now, he is in peace”

They buried Will under an oak and Merlin recited a poem his mother had read to him years before.

‘ _There are persons in our lives that make us happy by the simple chance of crossing our path. Some of them walk by our side, seeing many moons go by, but there are others that we only see between step and step. We call them all friends, and there are many kinds. Let´s pretend that each leaf of a tree is one of our friends._

_Time goes by, summer is gone, and autumn is coming, we lose some of our leaves, some grow the next summer and others stay with us during many seasons. But what really makes us happy, is that the fallen ones are still close to us, feeding our roots with joy. Memories of the wonderful times when they crossed our path._

_I wish you, leaf of my tree, peace, love, health, luck and prosperity. Today and always… Just because every person that passes through our life is unique. Always leaves something from his own and takes something from us._

_Some may take a lot, but we won´t find anyone that is not going to leave us something._  
_This is the biggest responsibility of our lives and the obvious proof that two souls never find each other by chance_ '

[The Tree of Friends. Jorge Luis Borges 1]

 

“Goodbye my friend”

Merlin took a deep breath, dried the tears and turned to Gwaine and Lancelot

“Do you have any idea to where we could go?”

“I’ll suggest going to my isle, but Arthur met me and he knows where to find me,” said Gwaine.

“Maybe I have an idea” started Lancelot. “We could go to my Uncle in Sarzo. He lives in a big mansion with his son Percival. They will protect us for a while, until we decide what to plan for Drakaria”

All of them nodded and started their journey to Sarzo. It will take them about two days.

 

^^^^

 

In the throne room in Drakaria, Arthur watched impassible, as Leon and another knight told him they had lost Merlin; but inside, he was furious.

The other knight stepped forward

“My Lord, I didn’t completely failed. I’m sure, I managed to hit some of those bastards with my poised arrow” he was obviously proud of himself.

Arthur focused his attention to him and frowned

“You tried to hit them with an arrow? Which one of them?”

“I don’t know, my lord. But, I’m sure, I killed one of them”

The atmosphere became tenser. Leon stepped back.

“What’s your name, Sir..?”

“Valiant, Sire, from the Western Isles. There, we have to most poisonous snakes in all Albion and we use them to make our weapons more lethal. For example, my arrows could kill a man in just a few seconds”

“Umm... Can I see one of these arrows? I’m very curious”

Valiant gave him an arrow with reverence and Arthur analyzed it.

“Interesting. You thought it was all right to send these very poised arrows toward Merlin’s group. What makes you think you didn’t hit the Prince??” Arthur was almost shouting

Valiant had wide eyes understanding his mistake

“My…my Lord. I…”

“Shut up. You may have killed my husband, you IDIOT”

“S…Sire…” Valiant never ended what he wanted to say, because the King stabbed him in the neck with the arrow.

Valiant was shocked and looked at the King, who regarded him with cold eyes

“This is what happens to fools who try to hurt my consort!!”

In a few seconds, the knight was dead.

 

“Leon” the knight looked at Arthur, trying to ignore the corpse on the floor. “I want Merlin found. Take ten men with you and go west. He should be in Sarzo”

“Why Sarzo?”

“I doubt he escaped to Lord Gwaine’s Isle. He knows I know where he lives and his servant comes from Eldor in Essentir so, too near Camelot. Therefore, he must have gone where Lancelot, his bodyguard, grew up and still has a family, which means Sarzo. If you can’t find him there, search Wyllt and Eldor.”

Leon bowed and walked to the door

“Leon… I want him unharmed and safe. Use the carriage, so he can be comfortable. Kill the others. Take him directly to Camelot. I will go there myself in a few days. Send a knight to inform me, when you will be near Camelot with Merlin”

“Yes, My Lord”

Leon didn’t want to know what Arthur would do to him if Merlin was hurt… not after he had seen what he did to Valiant just for suspecting.

 

^^^^

 

In the dungeons, only bars separated the royals’ cells.

“Balinor, dear, how are you feeling? Can you use magic to escape?” Hunith was very worried about her husband’s paleness.

“I’m tired, darling. I know my body. If I use even a bit more of magic, my heart will not be able to take it. I had exaggerated before, but I don’t regret it. I’m happy to spend my last moments with you, my love” Balinor smiled lovely at his wife “do you remember when I started to court you?”

Hunith laughed, “How could I forget? You were such a clotpole! You kept giving me these expensive gifts, just to show me what great and rich prince you were”

“Yes. But despite it, you kept returning them. I couldn’t understand why. No other woman had refused such presents from me”

“I didn’t want something others made and that you just had to buy with your father’s money. I wanted something that could make me understand who you really were”.  
Hunith smiled sweetly “then you did it. You gave me a blue rose, created with your magic in front of me. In that moment, I knew you were the one for me”

Balinor took her hand through the bars, “that day, you looked at me like I had given you the world with that simple rose and I knew you were the one for me, too”

They kissed, silently telling how much they loved each other and how happy their life together had been.

“How sweet”

They turned hearing the invader King’s voice.

“I was about to tell you to say goodbye, before Balinor’s execution, but it seems you have beaten me on it”

Balinor stood up “I’m ready. I am not afraid of you, little King. You may have taken my kingdom, but you will never conquer its spirit, because it resides in my son’s heart and he will never be truly yours”

“Nice words, but I’ll prove them to be untrue. Let’s go.  
You and I, my Lady, will see each other later to return to Camelot”

Balinor kissed Hunith’ hand and went to his end. A few minutes later, he was hanged.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

**A WEEK LATER- SARZO**

The group escaping Drakaria arrived in Sarzo safe and was welcomed by the chief of the village, Lancelot’s uncle, Lord Joseph and his son Percival, whom entered in their group of friends very quickly.

The group rested for a couple of days. Merlin needed it more than the others did. In a day, he lost his kingdom, his home, his friend and he felt his father’s death, too.  
Then, he was ready to start planning a way to win against Camelot but suddenly, one of the peasants ran to them, announcing the arrival of a patrol of knights wearing red. They knew they were the Camelot ones.

Gwaine started packing. Merlin looked outside at the villagers that recieved them so kindly and then at his friends. He knew what he had to do.

“Merlin, what are you waiting for? We need to go?” Lancelot tried to guided him to the door, but Merlin stopped him

“I’m afraid I will not coming with you”

“Mate, it’s not the right time for jokes. Let’s go” Gwaine was frantic.

“No. You go. They want me. They will never stop coming after us as long as I’m with you. They will hurt the people and then, they will kill you. I have already lost a friend and I can’t lose you, too. I couldn’t take it.”

“Merlin…”

“I’m your prince and I order you to run from here and let me go with them. Be safe”

Gwaine stepped to stand in front of Merlin and looked at him in the eyes. “I swear on my life, I will come back to save you, Merlin. I will not rest until you will be free again”

Merlin smiled and joked, “Of course you will. I’m irresistible, after all” Then more seriously “thank you, Gwaine”

Lancelot hugged him and promised him the same as Gwaine did. They both kissed him on the forehead.

“Go, please” and after some hesitation, they did, knowing their prince was right.

 

Once alone, Merlin exited the mansion and went toward the knights.

Seeing the prince, Sir Leon dismounted from the horse and walked to him, a relief expression on his face.

“My Lord, thanks Goodness, you are unhurt. We were worried”

Merlin moved back and the knights immediately stiffed. Merlin asked himself what Arthur must have told them, to make them so happy to see the prince safe, but also so tense when he showed a bit of resistance.

“Sir Leon, it’s a pleasure. I know what you want from me and I promise to come with you on my own free will, if you swear not to harm anyone here in the village or my friends. Failed it and I will resist and you will be forced to hurt me. And something is telling me, your king wouldn’t be please about that”

Leon was clearly uncomfortable, but he accepted Merlin’s conditions

“You have my word, Sire” he bowed deeply and then, he offered his hand “would you accommodate in the carriage, my Lord?... please?”

Merlin ignored the hand and royally, went in the carriage.

Once the prince was inside, the knights were relief, knowing the one thing that will protect them from the king’s wrath, was safe in their possession.

Leon spoke to Merlin before departing

“if you need something, you just need to asked and we will serve you as best of our abilities”

 

After three days, Merlin could see the white towers of Camelot and his heart started to bit faster because he didn’t know what the future will have in store for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this is a piece of the poem "The Tree of Friend" by Jorge Luis Borges.  
> so, it's NOT mine.


	10. The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for posting this late. I have just finished by last winter exam and I couldn't write this new chapter before today.  
> it's not very long but I will update the next one very soon. 
> 
> thank you for your comments, kudos and for wishing me luck for the exams... they went great :-)
> 
> WARNINGS: blackmail, forced marriage, same sex marriage
> 
> IMAGES ARE NOT MINE

        

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

The carriage stopped in the courtyard in front of the stairs leading inside into the castle.  
Leon dismounted from his horse and went to open the door for the Prince. Merlin got off and looked around at what would be his home from now on. At least until his friends would manage to save him.

Camelot castle was smaller than the one in Drakaria, but it was brighter. Instead of dark grey stones, there were white ones and many more windows.

All around him, Merlin could see people stop what they were doing to look at him.  
They knew that, two days before, a knight came back from Draken to inform the king they had Prince Merlin and were returning to Camelot. Immediately, the king ordered everyone to start preparing the wedding and people couldn’t wait to see the person who had stolen their king’s heart. That’s why they were there now, watching the young man, who was going to be their King Consort. Used to be surrendered by rough and muscular men, they were mesmerized by the Prince.  
His raven hair, white skin, slender frame and sapphire eyes made him looked like an ethereal beauty from a magical world. A child even asked his mother if his was an angel.  
As soon as he went inside the castle, the people rushed to finish the wedding preparations, eager to have such a charming creature as their ruler.

On the stairs, Merlin noticed two lines of red knights, each on one of his side. He walked between them and they moved with him to take him to the throne room. Leon not far behind him.  
The guards at the door opened it to let him enter.  
Inside, there was Arthur in all his glory, sitting on the right throne – at his left there was another one identical to his own- and he never took his eyes off Merlin as he walked toward him.  
When he stood in front of the king, without stopping his intense gazing, Arthur ordered the knights but Leon to go.

“You did a good job Leon. You and your men can have the week off and go to The Witch to have some fun”

“It was an honor, My Lord. Thank you for your reward” he bowed. “Sire, Prince Merlin” and left.

For what seemed like an eternity, the two men just looked at each other.  
Then, Arthur stood up and reached Merlin. He looked at him like an addict.

“Welcome home, Merlin. Finally, you are here where you belong, my love. I thought I was going to go mad, if I had to wait another day to be able to see and touch you” Arthur reached out his hand to caress Merlin’s cheek.  
The younger man turned his face away from the touch and Arthur tutted.

“That won’t do, love” he forcefully took Merlin’s chick in his hand and turned him to make him looked directly at the King.  
Arthur lost himself in the blue of his soulmate’s eyes.

“My god… you are so beautiful!” he kissed him with all the passion he had to hide for the past year.  
Its force took Merlin aback and he had to cling to Arthur’s shoulders for support.  
Then, remembering himself, he started to struggled and managed to push the king away.

“Stay away from me, bastard. Don’t you dare to touch me!”

“Now, Merlin. This is not the way you should talk to your soon- to- be husband. I could make you feel so good, if you would just let me”

Merlin scoffed “you are delusional, if you think I will marry you, Arthur. Nothing will make me change my mind!”

“Nothing? Let’s see about that… come with me, darling. I have to show you something interesting”.  
He put his hand on Merlin’s lower back and guided him toward the dungeons.

As they descended the stairs, Arthur managed to touch the skin under Merlin’s shirt.  
He chuckled, seeing him blushing.

“I suggested you getting used to my touch, honey. After all we will soon do more… intimated things together”

 

^^^^

 

They arrived at the first cell, the one used for nobles, and Merlin gasped.  
Inside the cell, there was his mother. She wore peasant’s clothes; she was paler and more worn out than ever. It was clear that being imprisoned in a dungeon for almost two weeks, witnessing her husband’s execution and not knowing her son whereabouts, was negatively influencing her health.

Merlin rushed to her and Arthur told the guard to open the door. Merlin wrapped Hunith in an embrace, rocking her, not sure, if he was consoling her or himself.

“Merlin, dear… my baby. I missed you so much” Hunith’s voice was weak and she barely managed to kiss her son’s forehead.

Merlin tighten his hug. He furiously glazed at Arthur

“Let her go!! Don’t you see she is sick??”

“Obviously, I can’t let her go completely. However, I could arrange for her to go living at my uncle Agravaine’s Castle at the seaside. There, she will be well looked after and will be able to roamed freely.  
I’ll even give her the best maidservant of Camelot. Guinevere is the sweetest girl in the world and helped the Court Physician many times; so she can take care of your mother in an impeccable way.  
Unfortunately, I’m not a good Samaritan and so, I want something in exchange for my generosity”

Merlin lowed his head. He knew what Arthur wanted and he wanted to refuse; but, a look at his mother’s pitiful image, made him realize he couldn’t.

He looked up to the smirking king “Alright. You won. I will do anything you want, but she has to be perfectly looked after”

“You have my word, my love. I will give you some time alone to say goodbye, while I go to talk to the maidservant and the knight that will escort her to my uncle’s”

When they were alone, Hunith squeezed Merlin’s hands.

“Honey, you don’t have to do this for me. Please, save yourself. Go far away and be happy”

“I can’t, mom. I did it when father asked me, and that killed him. I won’t let that happen to you too… I can’t”

Hunith dried her son’s tears and took off her necklace

“Here, take it. So, you will always have me and your father by your side, no matter where we are”

Merlin put it on and looked at it. It was a coin. On one side, there was craved a red dragon and on the other side, there was a blue rose.

At her son’s questioning eyes, she answered, “the red dragon represents Balinor, the blue rose is me and together, they create a coin… you. You are brave and strong as a dragon; but beautiful, and unique as a blue rose. Never forget us”

“I love you so much” Merlin hugged his mother with everything he had.

An hour later, Arthur came back saying the knights and Gwen would soon be ready.

“Come, love. It’s time for you to get ready for our wedding” Arthur wore a huge smile.

With a last hug, Merlin sadly followed Arthur out of the dungeons.

“Don’t look so sad, Merlin. You can write to her whenever you want to. Moreover, if you are a good boy, we will be able to visit her in the future. Do something to displease me and she dies”

 

They entered in a big chamber on the second floor.

“These are usually the Queen’s chambers, but you will not use them. You will be staying with me in my own rooms next to these from the moment we marry. You can stay in here to prepare for the ceremony.  
This is Daegal, your new manservant” Arthur indicated a very young boy with red hair. “He will take you to the throne room when it will be time. Now, I have to go to prepare myself, too” he kissed Merlin on the cheek and exited the room.

Daegal bowed “it’s a pleasure to server you, my Lord”

“Please, call me Merlin. I am used to be friends with my servant, since we will spend a lot of time together. Would you like that?”

The boy beamed at his new master, already liking him “Of course, my L… I mean, Merlin”

“Good. Now, I think I should start getting ready for my… well, for the wedding” Merlin swallowed at the thought.  
Daegal went to the bed, where for the first time Merlin noticed clothes on top of it.  
They were beautiful: the entire outfit was made of silk and the predominant colours were light blue and silver. Merlin had never seen such precious clothes.  
The servant noticed Merlin awed expression.

“The king designed them personally. He really knows how to show your beauty, Merlin”

He didn’t want to talk about Arthur “Why don’t you tell me about yourself, while you help me dress?”

He did it. Daegal told him about his parents’ deaths; his sister’s assault and how the king had punished the knight in front of everyone.

“Even though she is still distressed, seeing that bastard being put in his place helped her to cope. I’m afraid that if it wasn’t for the king’s care for his subjects, she would be worst”

In other circumstances, Arthur would have impressed Merlin with his care. However, not today.

He asked Daegal to find the maidservant Gwen and to bring her to the chambers.  
When she arrived, Merlin immediately liked her. They talked for a while and he asked her to take very good care of his mother.

“I will, my Lord. She is in safe hands with me. I’ll look after her as I would for my mother and with the respect she deserves as a Queen”  
Merlin couldn’t be happier.  
He finished getting ready and Daegal accompanied him to the throne room where Arthur was already waiting for him to become one.

 

^^^^

 

The doors of the room opened and two guards was already at his side.  
‘He is probably afraid I’d escape’ Merlin thought sarcastically.

As he walked along the nave with his watchdogs, he noticed the gasps of the nobles around him and Arthur’s beaming smile.

All Arthur could feel was unutterable joyfulness, seeing the man he loved walking toward him.  
The silver clothes made him look like even more as an ethereal creature, highlighting his skin… His eyes seemed bluer… he was perfect.

Merlin reached Arthur too soon for his liking.

The two men faced each other and Arthur took Merlin’s hands in his almost immediately. He kissed them, caressed them with his thumbs and whispered how beautiful Merlin was.  
Geoffrey of Monmouth stepped forward and started the hand fasting ceremony.

Merlin completely ignored him. He started to think about the unfairness of life. This wasn’t how he dreamed to get married. He had always wished to marry for love and he wanted to do it with Freya.  
He could feel his own eyes getting wetter.

He returned to reality when he heard Geoffrey saying

“Arthur Pendragon, do you wish to become one with this man?”

“I do” Arthur answered without hesitation and with besotted eyes.  
He placed a ring on Merlin’s finger. Two dragons were craved on it in an embrace and there was a ruby between their mouths; as in their eyes. Red was Pendragon’s colour, after all.

“Merlin Emrys, do you wish to become one with this man?”

Merlin didn’t answer for a while and people in the room started to murmur. Merlin was so tempted to say ‘no’, but Arthur’s squeeze of his hand and his mother’s face popping up in his mind, stopped him.

“I…I do” he felt he could collapse. He put the ring on Arthur’s finger, too. It was identical to his own, but instead of rubies, there were blue diamonds. As Merlin’s eyes.

“Then, I proclaim thy wed”

Arthur’ lips were on Merlin’s in a second. All around them people were applauding.  
Arthur whispered on his lips

“I can’t believe you are finally all mine. I love you so much”

He stepped away and indicated to his husband to kneel on the cushion on the three steps in front of Arthur.  
The king took the crown Geoffrey had just offered him. A silver one, embedded with diamonds.

“I, Arthur Pendragon, crown you, Merlin Pendragon, King Consort of Camelot” he put the crown on Merlin’s head and helped him to stand up.

They turned to face the nobles and Arthur shouted

“Long Live King Merlin”

As they sat on their thrones hand in hand, the room echoed him

“Long Live King Merlin and Long Live the Kings”

 

^^^^

 

The servants outdid themselves with the decorations and the cooking and in just two days.  
The Great Hall had never been more stunning.  
The kings sat on the high table and servants kept offering them delicious food. Arthur couldn’t stop touching his new husband: a caress on the cheek and kisses non-stop.  
The only things Merlin ate was what Arthur feed him, except that, he didn’t eat anything. He couldn’t.

The center of the Hall was freed to let people dance.  
The new-wed couple stood up and started to dance for the first time as husbands. They performed a typical Celtic dance and despite everything, they really fitted together perfectly.

“I will make you happy, Merlin. I swear. You are everything to me: my life, my love, my destiny and my soulmate” Arthur tenderly kissed him.

 

^^^^

 

When it was appropriated, Arthur took Merlin’s hand and they left the celebrations to retire in their rooms.  
It was the moment Merlin feared the most.

They arrived in front of the door of Arthur’s, and now his, Chambers and Arthur opened it.

“Now, we will truly be one” he whispered in Merlin’s ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here is the song I was thinking about while writing the wedding dance:  
> http://youtu.be/IPCsUHKZEh8
> 
> next chapter: the wedding night :-)


	11. The wedding night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter, there will be my first sex scene. hope you like it. I apologize if it's not the case.
> 
> WARNINGS: manipulation, light drug, blackmailing, possessive behaviour

Arthur opened the door of the rooms and nudged Merlin inside. Then, he locked it. 

Merlin looked around and was surprised to see what he saw. Hundreds of candles lighted the room and the fireplace was on, a mantel of furs in front of it. On the floor, there were petals of red roses. They were on the bed, too. The dining table in the middle of the chambers was full of delicacies: all kind of sweets and fruits from all over the world. 

At seeing the table, Merlin turned to look questioning at Arthur

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you didn’t eat much during the celebration… so, I asked George to bring here all these wonders. I thought you would be more keen to eat if we were alone and not in front of so many unknown nobles” the corners of Arthur’s mouth tugged up a bit with what should have been a gentle smile.

In all truthfulness, Merlin would have devoured all the venison in the world, if that meant he could postpone and avoid what was about to happen later that night. 

“Thank you, Arthur. It was very thoughtful of you” He slipped out from his husband’s grip and went to sit at the table.  
Perhaps, he would be able to convince Arthur not to take him that night. 

Arthur beamed at that and joined Merlin at the head of the table. He sat on Merlin’s right.

“We are married now, Sweetheart. It is my job and pleasure to take care of you. Being it by destroying the ones who tries to hurt you or to take you from me or by spoiling you with all types of delicacies” he took Merlin’s hand and kissed it without stopping looking at him in the eyes. 

Merlin swallowed and started to eat little pieces of cake and to drink a bit of sweet wine.  
After a while of eating in silent, he turned to gaze at Arthur, unable to hold back the question that kept hunting him

“That’s what you did back in Draken? When you invaded my peaceful kingdom, killed my father and threw my mother in a dirty jail… you were protecting me?!?” 

Arthur lifted his head and looked at Merlin, smiling

“Oh course, I was protecting you, silly. I love you!”

“Protecting me from what?? … My family? My friends? My home? Myself?”

Arthur’s eyes became full of fierce

“YES!!... You see? It was because of the naivety of yours that I had to take you away from them as soon as possible. They were poisoning your mind against the true… against me!” 

Merlin was very confused now. “What??”

“You are like a man who had been blindfolded all his life. He only knows darkness and when someone lifts the blindfold for the first time, he is confused, scared and hurt. The only thing he wants to do is returning to the darkness, because the light hurts his eyes and it’s too much. But then… he gets used to it and the pain passes. He starts to see all he couldn’t see before. He can see the wonders of the life he never knew could exist.  
You are like him. Your parents had blindfolded you by telling you not to trust me. The slut, that you called love, was also at fault. Freya was the worst of them all… she almost succeeded in blinding you for life”

Arthur started to caress Merlin’s cheek

“But you don’t have to worry about them anymore, love. I have freed you. I have lifted the darkness. Now you are confused and a bit hurt. You want to go back as things were. However, that’s not right… I will help you to get used to your new freedom” 

Now, Merlin knew Arthur was madder than he thought. He turned his face away from Arthur’s touch. 

“What are… what are you talking about?... what have you done to Freya???”

“Just what I had to. She went too far. Now she is with people that will appreciate her whorish body” 

Merlin longed to punch him, but Arthur easily stopped him.  
The older boy sighed and stood up.

“I think it’s time to help you getting used to your new life right now… STRIP!” 

Merlin was taken aback. “N..no!”

Arthur rolled his eyes

“Yes, Merlin. I’m keen to forget the stunt you have just pulled without consequences, if you do not disobey me again. Remember, one word from me and your dear mother will join your father sooner than she thought”

“Is this your way to show me the light? By blackmailing me?”

“I told you… you may feel pain now, but soon, you will thank me for that”

Merlin’s jaw dropped at the absurdity. However, he didn’t want to lose his mother.

“Fine!” He snapped.  
He started to get rid of his clothes. He noticed that Arthur’s eyes darken with lust at seeing more white skin. 

When Merlin was completely naked, his previously spirit was almost forgot. He stood there, in front of Arthur with his head bowed and his hands covering his most intimate parts.  
Arthur eyed his husband’s body from toes to head. He was the most beautiful creature he had never seen. He went around him, as a predator studies his prey. He curled his arms around his waist and forced him to lean against his still-clothed chest.  
Arthur buried his face in his neck and kissed it up and down. He took Merlin’s chick in his hand and turned his face sideway to kiss him deeply.  
Then he whispered in his ear

“Go and lay out on the furs in front of the fire. I will catch up with you in a moment”

Reluctantly, Merlin went and made himself comfortable on the cushions on the furs. 

After a few minutes, a very naked Arthur joined his husband on the furs. A tray of strawberries in his hand.  
Merlin’s throat dried at the sight, a mix of nervousness and fear in his heart. 

“Arthur, maybe we should just talk for tonight and not… not rushing things” Merlin was desperate.  
The other man shook his head in a ‘no’

“We have the rest of our lives to talk, but only one wedding night, love. We should not waste it.  
Besides, it’s better to adapt yourself as soon as possible to your new husbandly duties, since I’m not going to get tired of you any time soon” 

He folded Merlin on his lap. Both Merlin’s leg at one side of Arthur’s. He putted an arm around Merlin’s shoulders and putted his head on his shoulder. 

Arthur whispered, “Don’t fight me!” 

He started to caress Merlin’ body: his arms, his chest, his belly and his legs. Merlin was feeling strangely hot at the attention, as if a fire was burning in his lower belly. 

“wh…what?” he was confused and scared.

Arthur smirked “don’t worry, love. You are just starting to feel the effects of the light aphrodisiac I put in the wine. It’s nothing strong, just something to relax you. It will not influence your mind”

Merlin was shocked, but before he could protest, another touch from Arthur made him gasp and moan. The older king chuckled. 

He took a strawberry from the tray and put it on Merlin’s mouth

“Eat it!” he said lustfully

Merlin opened his mouth and ate half the fruit. Arthur began to pass the other half along the other boy rosy mouth, as if he was putting a lipstick on. 

Then, he lashed to kiss him passionately, forcefully and possessively. Arthur tried to use his tongue but Merlin didn’t permit it, so Arthur pinched his nipple and took advantage of Merlin’ light scream to assault the inside of his mouth. The battle began: Arthur’s tongue chased Merlin’s, who tried to avoid it with all his will and then, he captured it. 

They kissed like that for what seemed like forever. In the meantime, Arthur kept stroking the other’s body.  
When they separated, Arthur had the fire of an animal in heat in his eyes and Merlin was sweating because of his husband’s ministrations and the aphrodisiac. 

“Now, it’s time to begin the fun” Arthur took Merlin in his arms bridal style and took him to the bed. 

He lay himself on the side next to him. He caressed his swollen lips with his thumb. His eyes were shining with lust.

“You are perfect, my love. Look at you… you don’t know how much I had to self-control me when I met you for the first time. I wanted you so much. To kiss you, to have you in my arm, your mouth on my cock… everything. And now I can have it” 

He leaned down and kissed Merlin’s eyes, forehead, cheeks and lips. 

“Open your beautiful legs for me, honey” Arthur positioned himself between them and lay down on top of Merlin, who was redder than before ‘cause of the drug. 

Arthur started to kiss and lick his long neck. He sniffed it, too.  
Then, he concentrate on the nipples. He licked them, rounding them with his wet and warm tongue; he sucked and bit them. Merlin arched his back and screamed at that. The drug was making him so hot.

Arthur lowed himself to give his attentions to Merlin’s belly.

“I can’t believe that soon in here there will be our child. That my seed will implant itself so deep in you to create a new life… can’t wait for it!” he kissed the belly so low that he ended up brushing Merlin’s erect dick. 

“Please…” Merlin whimpered. All those stimulations were too much for him.

“Hush… I will take care of you, love,” Arthur whispered and brushed together their erect dicks. 

Merlin started to sob… he needed something to stop the fire inside of him.

Arthur lowered himself until he was facing Merlin’s penis. He started to kiss it on the entire ledge long.  
That startled Merlin up from his blur. He started to struggle and tried to push Arthur way, but he didn’t go far. Arthur gripped his wrists and tied them up to the bedposts above Merlin’s head with the ropes of the curtains.

“No… please, Arthur. Let me go!” Merlin tried to fight but his mind was returning to his slight foggy state. 

“NEVER! You will beg me to take you, whenever you like it or not” Arthur hissed and went back to what he was doing.

He put Merlin’s legs on his shoulders until he was able to see clearly his hypnotic pink hole. He licked his lips before doing it to the hole. Merlin gasped aloud at the sensation.  
Arthur licked it for a while, as if he had never tasted something so delicious before. Then, he penetrated it with his tongue, opening it up. Above him, his husband was struggling again.  
When it was loose enough, he retried and put a finger inside. 

He watched Merlin. He was arching his back once again; he was flushed and his pupils were dilated. 

He went back to blow his cock, but he was careful to suck just the head. At the same time, he kept finger fucking him, adding more fingers every minute and touching Merlin’s prostate at every trust. 

Since Arthur was sucking just the head, the blowjob was more like a torture than a pleasure act. 

“Art… Arthur, please… I can’t” Merlin was panting and burning. He needed to come and soon. 

“Tell me, love. Tell me what you need and I’ll give it to you. BEG ME!”

“Please, Arthur. I beg you… Let me come… I can’t take it anymore!!” Merlin was sobbing

Arthur smiled, pleased that Merlin was lowering his guard. He knew it was just because of the aphrodisiac and the sexual stimulations, but they have a long way to go and this is just the beginning.  
He extracted his fingers and kneeled at Merlin’s head. His erect dick in hand.

“You have to show me you truly want my big cock in you; that you want it to make you come hard… kiss it. Kiss it and I will give it to you, darling” 

Merlin was too gone to find the strength to protest. Now, he just wanted. Therefore, he moved his head and kissed Arthur’s cock. He knew the only thing that would be able to satisfy him was that cock.  
He would think about the consequences the next day. 

Happy, Arthur opened Merlin’s legs wide and aligned himself to his hole. In a fast movement, he was inside. His balls on Merlin’s ass.  
The man in question screamed and moaned, but Arthur muffled them by kissing him. Then, he rested his head on Merlin’s neck.

At first, Arthur fucked him slowly but deeply. Then, he fasted his trusts. His movements were so strong that the bed kept hitting the wall behind it. 

Both of them were moaning aloud and soon, they were about to come.

“Yes, Merlin. You are fantastic… you feel so good. You are MINE, only mine. I’ll never let you go!”

A few more trusts and they were both coming.  
They caught their breaths and Arthur freed Merlin from the ropes. He moved him on his side and hugged him possessively. 

“I love you so much, my love. Now, rest. We have the entire week for ourselves… our journey together has just begun”


	12. Around Camelot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I deeply apologize for my lateness. this week was a nightmare. 
> 
> in this chapter, the people of Camelot will meet their new king.
> 
> WARNINGS: restrains, non-con, slight abuse against children. 
> 
> reference of episode 1x1.
> 
> IMAGES ARE NOT MINE

                                                 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

The next day, Merlin woke up confused. Then, he remembered what had happened the night before. He felt ashamed.  
He took long breaths and turned on his back. He saw Arthur lying next to him on his elbow, watching him.

“Good Morning, love. How are you feeling?” Merlin nodded “you were fantastic last night” Arthur kissed him.

Mentioning the night before, Merlin lifted his hand to rub his temples, but he stopped when he found himself unable to do it. His wrists were tied up together with a red rope.

Merlin looked up at Arthur questioning.

Arthur said shameless, “last night, you tried to fight back and that meant you don’t trust me to take care of you. THIS will force you to put your trust on me… I will take care of you during our week together”

And so he did.

During the following seven days, Arthur did everything for Merlin, since he couldn’t use his hands. Arthur feed him; carefully washed him and helped him releasing himself. The last one was the worst for Merlin. It was embarrassing and awful to let someone else seeing him during those private moments. The only thing Arthur didn’t do was dressing Merlin, since he wanted his husband naked all the time.

At first, Merlin tried to refuse Arthur’s help, but in the passing days, he had to accept it, to ask for it.

Arthur kept making love to him, obviously. It seemed like Arthur, after having done it ‘normally’ on the bed the first time, wanted to be creative. They did it everywhere in the room and in every position. They christen the dining table, the floor, the window, the furs in front of the fireplace and the bathtub.  
However, Arthur’s favorite spost was doing it on his desk. More precisely, he loved having Merlin on his lap, riding him up and down, while Arthur read the reports, George left him every morning. As they were doing right now.

They were both naked. Merlin was sitting on his husband lab, facing him and with both legs at both side of Arthur’s hips. His bound hands were around Arthur’s neck. He was riding him.

“Yes, love. So perfect. Keep fucking yourself on my cock. I know how much you love it. You don’t have to hold back… with me, you can be yourself. Come on, faster!” Arthur slap his bottom to emphasize the order.

In the meantime, he sucked Merlin’s nipples. The only sounds you could hear in the room were their moans and their fleshes colliding together. Arthur moved his hand lower and touched Merlin’s rim, where they were connected together. Merlin screamed at the stimulation and came like a volcano. Arthur lifted him off his lap and made him kneel under the table between his open legs. He took Merlin’s hair and guided him toward his penis.

“I want to come in your mouth. Suck me off and swallow my essence until the last drop. Then, keep my cock in your beautiful mouth to maintain it warm while I read these boring reports. If you are good, I’ll untied the ropes for a moment during your bath”

Merlin would never pass an opportunity to be without the restrains even if it was just for a few minutes. Therefore, it did as his husband told him. Occasionally, Arthur petted his head and told him how good and amazing he was.

From Arthur’s point of view, by taking care of Merlin so well, he was behaving as the perfect husband. Besides, he told Merlin how much he loved him every day.

 

^^^^

 

At the end of the ‘honeymoon’, Arthur untied Merlin. He kissed and massaged his bruised wrists.

“I wish we could have been in here forever. Nevertheless, we can’t. We have a duty toward our subjects.” Arthur said regretfully to his husband, “I need to go and train the knights this morning. Why don’t you go to see Gaius, the Court Physician, to make sure you are fine after our intense ‘activities’? I’ll see you at lunch, love” Merlin nodded and stayed still as Arthur leaned forward to kiss him. Then he was out.

Merlin had just a moment for himself, when Daegal came in.

“Good morning, my Lord”

“Daegal, I told you to call me Merlin” he was genuine happy to see his young servant, after he had interacted only with Arthur for the past week.

Daegal smiled “sorry, Merlin”

Satisfied, Merlin asked him, “Could you be so nice to accompany me to the court physician? I have no idea about how to move in this castle”

“It would be a pleasure Merlin. If you want, I can show you around the castle and the city, when you finish with Gaius”

Merlin beamed at him “it’d be great, thank you Daegal”

Exiting the chambers, Merlin tried to ignore the uneasiness he felt by doing something without Arthur.

 

^^^^

 

When they arrived to the Physician’s, Merlin told Daegal to come back to get him in about an hour. The servant bowed and went to do his chores.

Merlin entered the room at the top of the stars, looking around. He saw hundreds of colorful potions and thousands of books. It remained the king of his old tower in Draken, where he kept his herbs. He missed it so much.

Suddenly, he heard a loud cracking sound. He looked up and saw an old man falling from the little balcony in the room. Without even thinking about it, Merlin used his magic to move the soft bed in order to catch the man.

Before even getting up from the bed, Gaius started to shout. “What did you just do?”

“Ehm…”

“I know what it was. I just want to know where you learned how to do it”

“No I...”

Gaius turned and looked at his savior. He was shocked and immediately, bowed.

“M…my lord. I deeply apologize for my rudeness. Thank you for saving my life”

“Don’t mention it, sir… can I call you Gaius? I’m Merlin”

“Of course you can. I was very surprised before. It had been years since I last saw magic. How did you study it?”

“I’ve... I've never studied magic or been taught. I was born like this.”

“Ah… of course. After all, you are a Dragon Lord… I am sorry about your father… he was a great man. I had the honor to meet him years ago.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I was in Drakaria to visit someone very special to me…. but tell me, Merlin… what can I do for you?”

“Just normal check-ups… in the meantime, why don’t you tell me about your work? I’m curious”

During the examination, they talked about magic, how it was lost in all the kingdoms but Draken and about Gaius’s only magic book. They talked about herbs and science. They confronted each other about their own discoveries and their different herbs.  
Merlin promised himself to send a knight to bring back his herbs and books from Draken.

Merlin already liked Gaius. They had so much in common. He knew that the old man was going to make his life in Camelot more endurable.

He offered Gaius to deliver his medicine for him later during his tour of the city.

 

When the hour was over, too soon in Merlin’s opinion, Daegal knocked on the door.

They said their goodbyes and went to deliver the potions, followed by Elyan. Arthur had instructed him to escort and protect his husband no matter the cost. The knight didn’t want to know what the king would do to him in case of failure.

About the castle, Daegal showed Merlin the Great Hall; the throne room; the Council Room; the towers; the Queen’s Gardens, Merlin could see himself spending time there, reading under the apple tree; and the kitchen.

There, Merlin stopped to chat with the servants. He asked the name of everyone and did little chatting, as asking about his or her family and their routines. When he went to meet the Cook, Gertrude, he found himself in front of a wall of a woman with impassible eyes. He smiled gently and a bit awkwardly to her. She looked at him up and down, studying him. Then, she bowed and turned to write something and returned to her work. Merlin were puzzled but everyone else was smiling relived.  
Outside, Merlin asked Daegal what had just happened.

“She adores you, Merlin. It was obvious.”

“Obvious?”

“Yeah…. She wrote down on a paper to give you double portions of food in the future. She thinks you are too skinny!”

“Oh… well.. Good. Thanks her for me, later”

As soon as he disappeared behind the corner, the servants ran to tell their colleagues how amazing and beautiful their new king was.

 

Then, Merlin, Daegal and their silent bodyguard went into the market. Many people stopped to see Merlin.  
For them, he was really like a mysterious creature. The light of the sun reflected itself on his skin, as if it couldn’t stop kissing him; when he looked at them with those sapphire eyes, it was as if a wave of kindness and serenity invested their hearts.

Seeing him walk among them, kindly talking with everyone who approached him, as if he considered them important and worth his time, was a cure-all for the people. They understood immediately why their king loved him so much and many of them were envying of him for possessing such a treasure. However, they sworn that if they couldn’t have him, they will do all they can to help king Arthur keeping him with them in Camelot. Not one else could have their own angel.

Merlin was walking around the market, when he heard a commotion coming from an apples stand. A bearded and big man was slapping two little children in the face. They were about five years old, very thin and dirty.

The king rushed toward them.

“Let them go, IMMEDIATLY!” he commanded.

“Out of my way, boy…” he stopped seeing who it was. “Sire… sire, I’m so sorry” he bowed, keeping hold of the children.

“LET. THEM. GO”

“But, sire… they tried to steal my apples” he turned to slap them again, but was blocked by a blue shining sword pointed on his throat.

“This sword can cut you in half easily as to cut butter. I’m very tolerable, but what I hate above anything else is the violence against children. Therefore, I’m going to repeat myself one last time… LET. THEM GO.” Merlin hissed at him.

The people were amazed by the view of their powerful guardian angel.

The man freed the children and they ran to hide behind Merlin’s legs. The trader accepted the king’s few coins and went.

Merlin kneeled in front of the children. “What’s your names, honeys?”

“Gilli and Harry, sire” Gilli, the taller one, answered shyly.

“Where are your parents?”

“In Heaven” Harry whispered sadly

“Where do you live then?” Merlin asked, frowning.

Gilli made a movement with his hand as to indicate around. Merlin nodded and gave them other coins.

“Do not steal again. It’s wrong. If you need money… come to me. Ok?”

“Yes, sire… thanks” they ran away from there.

Merlin lifted himself from the ground. Elyan went to him

“Sire… you didn’t have that sword on you before. Where was it?”

Merlin smirked. He wasn’t so helpless as the knight had thought. He showed him his bracelet with the Emrys symbol on it. He took the sword and once it touched the symbol, it disappeared inside the bracelet.

The knight was shocked and awed.

“Let’s go back to the castle. It’s almost lunch time. My husband is waiting for me”

While he was walking, Merlin couldn’t stop thinking about what he saw before. Children should not live in the streets. He had to do something.

Smiling, he had an idea. It was time to show Arthur that he wasn’t just his cute puppet husband. If Arthur wanted an equal partner… that is what he will have.


	13. King Merlin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merlin will prove himself to the Councilmen and things will move on.
> 
> WARNINGS: non-con, blackmailing, dark arthur.
> 
> IMAGES ARE NOT MINE

                                                     

^^^^^^^^^^

 

When Merlin arrived to his chambers to eat with his husband, Arthur was already there, sitting at the head of the table. He was still sweating from the training.

“I was starting to get worried, love”

“You know you had your watchdog followed me around. So drop the act,” said Merlin, sitting.

“Elyan is there to protect you, Merlin. It makes me feel at ease” Arthur putted his hand on Merlin’s.

Merlin pushed it away. “You mean, he is there to spy me, to make sure I don’t escape!!” hissed Merlin.

Arthur’s face darkened “it’s him or you being locked up in here for the rest of your days. You choose… “

Merlin just glaze furiously at him, not knowing what to say

“I thought so” said Arthur satisfied “Now, let’s eat”

They started eating in silence, but Arthur kept watching his dear husband.

Merlin noticed him: “What?”

Arthur smiled gently “I just can’t stop watching you, darling. You are so beautiful and I love you so much. You know that, right?”

Merlin swallowed hard and lowered his eyes. He honestly didn’t know what to think. One moment, Arthur threated to lock him away and to kill his mother and in the next, he is so caring and sweet. Merlin didn’t know which one was the real Arthur. He was so confused.

Seeing his husband discomfort, Arthur asked him

“Why don’t you tell me about your day? What did Gaius tell you?”

“He said I am perfectly healthy. We got on quickly and I am going to ask a knight to bring me my old books and herbs from Draken, so that Gaius and I can study them together.”

“I am please you are comfortable with him. Of course, you can sent a knight to Draken…. Tell me, do you think there’s some possibility that you are already with child?”

Merlin put on his best lying face “he couldn’t tell… it’s too soon… only time will tell”

Merlin was sure he wasn’t pregnant. Only a few people knew of the Dragonlords’ particular ability to be able to choose if getting pregnant or not. When magic was still strong in the land and people considered Dragonlords as Gods, many kings and Lords tried to capture Dragonlords in order to have children with them. To prevent this and the pollution of their holy lineage, Dragonlords developed the ability to control the conception of their children. The Dragonlord’s partner had to pass two tests to be able to impregnate the magical Being. First, he had to be accepted by the Dragonlord, as to say the Lord had to be willing in the mind and in the body to have children with that person; secondly, he had to be accept by the Dragonlord’s magic. Only if the magic approved of the partner, it would transform the seed in a new life. After the first pregnancy, the Dragonlord is able to conceive normally as women do and only with the same mate of the first pregnancy… and no one else.

Merlin had to be sure Arthur never find out about this, or he will probably find a way to convince Merlin into wanting a baby. And he couldn’t permit it, because his magic, for same unknown reason, loved Arthur. Merlin had noticed it since the first time they had met. His magic adored Arthur. Therefore, it wouldn’t prevent the pregnancy. Merlin had to do it. With time, he would tell Arthur he is sterile or something.

“I see… well, I can’t wait for you to be with child, dear”

“Uhm…. Then, Daegal gave me a tour of the castle and the city. It is very beautiful and the people are very kind. They have welcomed me open-heartily.”

“As they should… you’re their king now,” said Arthur proud.

“Then, I noticed something in the market. Something that had upset me. I want to talk to you about that”

“Is it something that could concern the council, too?”

“Yes, I think it concerns all Camelot”

“Then, you can talk about it during the Council meeting later this afternoon. I want to see how the noblemen are going to act around you”

Merlin snickered “It sounds fun.”

“Oh, it will be. By their reaction to your presence and intervention during the meeting, I will find out what they really think about my leadership and you. You are my husband and they have to respect you as they would me. I will not stand for anything less.”

“Good… I‘m going to write to my mother before then.”

Arthur didn’t seem happy about that, but he tried to hide it. “Excellent idea. I was just about to tell you I’m going to send two of my knights to her in order to protect her better. You can give the letter to them”

Merlin nodded. Unhappy that his mother had to be guarded as a criminal, but it was better than see her in a dungeon.

 

They finished eating and Merlin was about to go writing the letter, when Arthur stopped him by gripping his wrist. He forced Merlin to sit on his lap. Arthur watched him hungry and with lust in the eyes.

Merlin learned to well what that look meant during the past week. He started to panic.

“Arthur, it’s midday…”

“Like it had ever stopped us… Come on, love. You know I can’t resist you. I think about you all the time. If I could, I would just tie you up to our bed, ready for when I’ll return from my duties. So, don’t deny me, now. Just give in for me, for you…. For your mother” Arthur whispered the last thing threatening.

Merlin sighed heavily, knowing he had no choice.

He let himself be led by Arthur toward the bathtub. Merlin had not noticed it was full. Soon, they were both naked and in the tub. Arthur didn’t lose time. In a second, he had Merlin on his hands and knees. He prepared him and then, he trusted into him with all his strength. They fucked for what seemed like hours. Arthur came inside of Merlin, whose magic sang happily at that. As always, Merlin concentrated on his will not to get pregnant and he knew he had managed to avoid it. His magic wasn’t happy.

After they had dried themselves, the couple sat at the table. Arthur to read his reports; Merlin to write to his mother. He asked her how she was going, if she liked Lord Agravaine and Gwen and if they were treating her well. Of course, he didn’t forget to tell her how much he loved her.

 

^^^^

 

Later, they were both sat at the head of the table in the Council Room, the king’s advisors in front of them. Arthur started the meeting by introducing his husband, an obvious pride in his voice, to the noblemen and vice versa. Then, they discussed the usual things: taxes, security and the relationships with other kingdoms.

Merlin didn’t intervene much, he was almost ignored by the older men. Only Arthur, Leon and Gaius asked about his opinion when they needed it. Arthur noticed this and wasn’t happy. He wanted to hang all of them for their disrespect toward his husband, but he couldn’t. Fortunately, he was about to find someone to vent his ire to.

When the meeting concentrated on the project to enlarge the Guests Wing of the castle to make it more luxurious for their noble guests, Merlin decided it was time to propose his idea.

“I have a better idea about what to do with the royal funds”

Everyone stopped their arguments about how rich the carpets had to be, to look at him. They were surprised that this stranger had the nerve to interrupt them.

Merlin put on his best royal face. “During my visit to the market, this morning, I noticed something that had really upset me. I saw alone and abandoned children living and stealing in the streets. That’s something children shouldn’t do. That’s why I would like to use the royal funds to build an kind of orphanage, where these children can live or find food and shelter when they are alone. A place they can have as a benchmark. I would also like to have tutors for them and nursemaid to help with the infants”

There was silent for a while. Arthur looked at his husband with pride and love. He was so proud to have such a kind and compassionate person by his side. Merlin was already trying to change Camelot for the best. He loved him so much. Unfortunately, not everyone shared his feelings.

One of the oldest men, one who Uther had on high opinion, stood up outraged.

“You would have us wasted our resources for filthy peasants brats. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever hear of. It does not surprise me it comes from an abomination from Draken. I barely stood your presence in the room, but now, this is too much”

Arthur was furious. He just wanted to run Lord Simon though but his husband’s hand on his stopped him. Merlin was shaking his head, telling him it was his time to prove himself. Arthur knew Merlin was right, so he backed off, but he knew the nobleman had just sign his death.

“Firs, Lord… sorry I didn’t catch your name” said Merlin with false innocence.

“Lord Simon” the man gritted his teeth, even more outraged for being forgotten.

“Ah, right…” Merlin shrugged as if it wasn’t of any importance to him. Knowing it’d make the man furious.  
“Tell me, Lord…. Simon. Who are you loyal to?”

The man straightened his shoulders “to the crown of Camelot, obviously. I had always been loyal the Pendragon family. To king Uther..” he told the name with so much reverence “… Queen Ygraine and now, I’m loyal to king Arthur. Always.”

Merlin nodded. “Good. And please, tell me, what is my title?”

“Sorry?” Simon was confused by the question.

“I asked you to pronounce my complete title, please”

He started to speak, when he stopped, already knowing what Merlin was trying to accomplish.

“Come on, lord Simon. Tell my husband’s full name” Arthur intervened.

“You are His Majesty King Merlin Pendragon of Camelot. King Consort and first in line of succession to the throne of the kingdom” said the man reluctantly.

“And that means…” helped Merlin, as if he was talking to a child.

“That means you’re my king, Sire”

“Very good, Lord Simon. I hope you realize that what you told me before is treason. I will forgive you this time” Merlin didn’t like being like this, but sometime it was necessary.

‘I won’t’ thought Arthur.

“Secondly, regarding the children. They are the future of Camelot. A castle, its nobles and the most beautiful guest rooms in the world do not represent a kingdom. The people are the kingdom and the children are its future. By abandoning them, you are abandoning Camelot. They will grow up as criminals or worst. They need the chance to become their best as everyone else. Who knows, maybe between them is hidden the future best knight Camelot ever known”

The more Merlin talked, the more people nodded enthusiastically. Gaius was the first to talk

“I’m with you, sire. I will be please to give my time and knowledge to the young minds. Personally, I always wanted an assistant to train in medicine. I’m not that young anymore”

They laughed at that. Arthur agreed too and ordered Leon to find some old knights that could be available to train the children when it would be time.

Merlin was satisfied with himself, and for having a purpose in Camelot.

The meeting was dismissed but Arthur asked Lord Simon to remain.

“Merlin, love. Why don’t you go with Geoffrey and Leon to start the organization of the works?”

When everyone was out and Arthur was alone with the lord, the king stood in front of the man, who kept his head down in submission.

“I have to be honest with you, Lord Simon. I didn’t appreciate your opinion about my husband.”

The lord bowed deeper. “I apologize, my lord. It wasn’t my intention to be disrespectful. I thought it was strange for king Merlin to have a position in the Council, when he is just a trophy to show your supremacy over his subjects in Draken. As your father wanted.”

Arthur had wide eyes “Merlin is my HUSBAND, not my slave or trophy!!! You dared to think about him that way??” Arthur was shouting now.

“I wasn’t the only one, my Lord” the man tried to defend himself

“Doesn’t matter… for now on, your presence in Camelot is not more requested, Lord Simon. I suggest you return to your estate and not to come back here anymore”

“What? But I have serve the royal family for years… how dare you…”

“I am the king, now!! And that’s my decision. You will depart tomorrow morning and you will do some of the journey with the two knights I’m sending to my Uncle… now, get out of my sight”

 

^^^^

 

Arthur went to the two knights, Sir Ethan and Sir Pellinor, before their departure.

“Knights, you are going to accompany Lord Simon for half of the journey. When no one can see you, I want you to get rid of him. Leave the body where the animals can easily find it. I don’t want to see that man in Camelot ever again”

“Yes, my Lord” they took King Merlin’s letter and joined the Lord in the Courtyard.

No one saw Lord Simon ever again…. Unfortunately, they never saw again the knights, too.

 

^^^^

 

Two weeks later, Merlin was watching the restoration of the old building chose to become the new orphanage, when a messenger reached him with a letter from his mother.

Merlin went immediately to his room, grateful that Arthur was training.

He opened the letter and noticed it was from Gwen. She apologized, saying Queen Hunith was still unwell to write, but she asked Gwen to answer in her place. She said Hunith was treated as she deserved and that she was slowly recovering. Lord Agravaine was nice to her. Gwen wrote about the two knights Arthur had sent them. One of them was very flirty but very professional and kind to the Queen. The other one was the gentler and nobler man she had ever known. Besides, she told him a tall man from the castle was going to come to Camelot to become a knight.

By the way she talked about the second man, it was obvious she had a crush on him. However, what made Merlin’s heart bit faster was the drawing next to Gwen’s signature. Merlin would recognize it everywhere.

It was a half-moon with a circle next to it.

He remembered that when he was a child, he used to exchange letters with Gwaine, if they were far away. The problem was that Gwaine wasn’t very good at writing, especially his name. Therefore, he started to sign the letters by drawing a half-moon and a circle, the symbols attached to his necklace, an old gift of his death mother.

Seeing those symbols, there, next to Gwen’s name, meant only one thing: Gwaine and Lancelot were with his mother.

He beamed and whispered “Gwaine”.


	14. The King's Uncle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter, we'll see our three favourite knights dealing with the rescue plan. so there will be no Merlin or Arthur this time... I hope you'll like it nevertheless.  
> in the next chapter, there will be more action and, if I manage it, a very dark Arthur!
> 
> ps: some of you asked me if I hated Arthur. I'd like to say that I DON'T hate Arthur. he is the happier character in my fic... I just prefer him Dark and possessive.  
> I love these comments too, by the way.  
> thank for reading
> 
> IMAGES ARE NOT MINE

              

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

When Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival left Sarzo with heavy hearts (since they had to abandon Merlin), they found shelter in an old cabin in the woods. There, they planned what to do to save their prince from that bastard of a Pendragon.

They decided they would plan something once they knew what had happened in Drakaria and to Merlin.

Percival’s father returned to Sarzo and the three men travelled from village to village to gain as much information as possible. They did a very good job at that, since they had to find it in the taverns… Gwaine’s specialty.

They were informed of King Balinor’s death, Queen Hunith’s imprisonment and her consecutive journey to Camelot. They were upset when they heard of Merlin’s wedding to King Arthur, even though they suspected it would have happened. Imagining what that monster was doing to their friend, made them even more determinate to save him.

A plan started to form, when they found out Queen Hunith wasn’t in Camelot anymore. She was in Doven, at the castle of Arthur’s Uncle, Lord Agravaine. No doubt, Arthur was using her as a hostage against Merlin. Therefore, it was obviously that they had to free her, before going to Camelot, because they knew Merlin wouldn’t move a finger if he thought his mother was in danger.

 

They started their journey to Doven. In the meantime, they decided what to do.

When they arrived in the forest surrounding Agravaine’s castle, they saw two Camelot knights riding in their same direction. They spied on them and discovered, with their immense pleasure, that they were Queen Hunith’s soon to be new guards. The trio attacked them and Lancelot and Gwaine took their place. This way, they would disguise themselves as Arthur’s knights and be able to stay unnoticed in the castle, near the Queen. Percival was going to act as a young man looking for a job.

Lord Agravaine welcomed Gwaine and Lancelot, not knowing they were fake knights, with cold stares but otherwise, he seemed a polite man. He told them the Queen was in her rooms. They went there and entered after knocking.

Queen Hunith was laying on the bed, reading a book. Whom they supposed was her maidservant was arranging some flowers on the table.

Since the servant was present, they couldn’t talk freely with Hunith, so they bowed and, still pretending, Gwaine started to talk.

“Good Morning, my Lady. We are your new knights. If you need something, don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll do anything we can for you”

Hunith flinched for a moment, knowing that voice. She looked up and her eyes widen, recognizing the young men she saw growing up.

She was about to call their names, when Gwaine shook slightly his head and winked. He pointed toward Gwen. Hunith understood and nodded. Gwen couldn’t know.

Gwaine turned his attention toward the young girl, but he was surprised to notice she wasn’t paying any attention to him or her mistress. No… all her focus was concentrate only on something, or better, someone on his right.

Gwaine looked at his right and came face to face with a Lancelot, looking at the girl with the same intensity as hers. They looked at each other in awe and as if they were the only ones in the room. They seemed two lovebirds.

Gwaine elbowed his friend, returning him to the real world. Once they lost the eye contact, both him and Gwen blushed and looked down, embarrassed and confused.

Hunith smiled at that, for the first time in weeks. They remained her of Balinor and herself when they were younger.

“Gwen, dear. Can you leave us alone, please? I would like to know my…. guards better”

“Of course, my lady. I’ll go washing your clothes.” She bent to take the laundry chest but Lancelot stopped her.

“I’m Lancelot. Please, let me help you, my Lady.” He took the chest from her hands.

Gwen blushed deeper. “I’m Guinevere. You can call me Gwen and I’m not a lady. Thanks”

“Could have fool me,” Lancelot whispered, looking intensely in her doe eyes.

Gwen bit her lower lips, losing herself in his gentle eyes.

A cough made them jumped. Gwaine raised an eyebrow.

“Right. Lead the way, my Lad… I mean, Gwen”

After they had left, Hunith and Gwaine allowed themselves a laugh. Then, Gwaine rushed to embrace the woman he considered like a second mother.

“It’s so good to see you Hunith… we were so worried. I’m so sorry about Balinor.”

Hunith caressed his face. “Oh, my boy. I am so relieved you and Lancelot are fine. Don’t worry about Balinor. We had no regrets. We lived our life together in all its potential… we’ll always be together… we are soulmates, after all” she smiled gently. “Now, I’m just worried about my baby boy”

“I promise you. I’ll save him, no matter what,” said Gwaine very seriously.

Hunith considered him for a moment. “You really love him, don’t you?”

“Always” vowed Gwaine.

It was true. Even though Merlin had rejected him, Gwaine loved him. When Merlin told him that he could give him only his friendship, Gwaine decided he would take what he could and be the best friend in the world for Merlin. However, deep inside, he will never stop loving the young prince. Moreover, he will make that Pendragon pay for the sufferings he caused.

“I’m pleased…. If you are here, I suppose you have a plan”

“Yes, my Lady. As long as you are in danger, we cannot free Merlin. Therefore, we are going to save you first and then, go to Camelot for Merlin. Nevertheless, we can’t just go there, suddenly. We need to wait the right time. Preferably, when the main attention of the guards and of Arthur are focused on something else. We were thinking to send Percival, Lancelot’s cousin, to Camelot to spy. He could go there with the excuse to become a knight. He can watch over Merlin and send us information more discretely. In the meantime, Lancelot and I will seek information here. After all, Agravaine is Arthur’s uncle and he receives news from the main city.”

“I agree.” Hunith was happy someone would be near to watch over her dear son.

 

A few days after that, a letter from Merlin arrived for Hunith. Gwen answered it for her and then, she gave it to Gwaine to send it. Before consigning it to the messenger, Gwaine drew his necklace symbols near Gwen’s signature. He had to let Merlin know he had not forgotten him, that Gwaine was there for him.

A week later, Percival left for Camelot. He was the only one who could go, since Arthur knew Lancelot and Gwaine’s faces.

Lancelot was always more uncomfortable about having to lie to Gwen. They had become so close. They spent all their spare time together, when Lancelot wasn’t spying on Agravaine and she wasn’t working. They were sure they had found the other half of their soul in the other.

That’s why, Lancelot couldn’t resist anymore and with Hunith’s blessing, he told Gwen everything. She was shocked at first and didn’t know what to do. However, when she thought about it, she realized the choice wasn’t so difficult. It was between Lancelot and Arthur. The first was the man she fell in love with. The second was the man who had sent her away from her family, from her home and who had sentenced Morgana, the woman she considered like a sister, to an unhuman punishment. As if, she was an animal. Gwen had no doubts… she chose Lancelot.

 

^^^^

 

Finding out some information from Lord Agravaine ended up being more difficult than Gwaine and Lancelot had foreseen. The man tended to lock himself in his rooms a lot, especially when a report or a letter arrived from Camelot.

This is why, Gwaine decided to slip in the Lord’s chambers one day, when he was outside.

He was searching among the papers, when he felt a sword point against his back.

“A word, Sir. If you please,” said Agravaine’s fake sweet voice.

Gwaine turned around and came face to face with the Lord. He didn’t know what to do.

“Give me one good explanation to why I shouldn’t run you through this instant,” hissed Arthur’s uncle.

Gwaine thought it was useless to lie.

“I was looking for information,” Gwaine said calmly.

“About?”

“Camelot”

Agravaine’s eyes shined at that. He seemed almost…pleased.

“Why?”

Gwaine remained silent and the lord pressed the sword against Gwaine’s chest strongly.

“To find the right moment to sneak in the city with fewer risks as possible”

Agravaine smirked and put down the sword.

“Good. That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear”

“What?” Ok, Gwaine didn’t expect that reaction. He was sure he was about to be killed or dragged to Camelot to be executed.

Agravaine giggled, “I’m sorry to inform you, young man, but your plan had a little mistake… my nephew told me the names of the two knights he was going to send… and they weren’t Gwaine or Lancelot. I knew since the beginning you weren’t you told me to be”

“Then, why didn’t you arrest us? What were you waiting for?”

“To find out why you were here… if you had ended up being thieves or smugglers I would have killed you. However, now that I know... I think we may help each other. Why do you want to slip in Camelot?”

“And what do YOU have against Camelot?” retorted Gwaine.

“You are in no position to ask questions… you are very near to your death, so I suggest you to talk,” hissed the Lord.

Gwaine had no choice. “We want to save our prince, Merlin Emrys, from your nephew.”

After a few second in silent, Agravaine nodded. “Excellent. I’ll help you. I have already a plan to make you enter the city without being noticed”

Gwaine was speechless. Something was very wrong.

“Wait, wait a moment” the knight held up a hand and put his fingers on his nose. “Why are you doing this? You are the king’s UNCLE!! You are his family!”

Agravaine’s expression become darker. “Don’t. Tell. Such. a. Nonsense. Ever. Again… that brat is not my family. I don’t have one!”

Seeing Gwaine’s confused eyes, he added. “Follow me”

They walk in the corridor for a while, until they arrived in front of a heavy wooden door. They entered the room and Gwaine couldn’t help but notice the big paint of a beautiful blond woman on the wall. White skin, blue and gentle eyes, golden hair matching her dress… she was perfect. She remained Gwaine of Arthur.

“This… this is Ygraine… my beloved sister” Agravaine swallowed hard.

“Queen Ygraine? Arthur is her son” Gwaine had never been good in remembering other royals, but the death in childbirth of Camelot Queen was a much known fact.

“No!! He is not her son! He is her MURDERER!!!” shouted the Lord, pure hate in his eyes. Gwaine stepped back. “That monster killed her. My dear sweet little sister…”

Agravaine lowed his head in sorrow.

Gwaine didn’t personally believe the child should be blame for the mother’s death during the childbirth. However, he could understand Agravaine’s pain. Gwaine too had lost his little sister Freya. He didn’t know if she was alive or not, but he was sure about one thing. He had never believe the elope crap… and since Arthur showed his true colors, Gwaine was certain that somehow, he was involved in her disappearance.

Agravaine was not over, “if her death wasn’t enough, Uther killed my dear brother Tristan. He was also my best friend” he laughed bitterly “the both of them were my best friends… we were inseparable... The three of us. My parents didn’t bear the loss of two of their children and killed themselves… I was left alone and all because of those Pendragons… I hate them so much!” he lifted his face, looking at Gwaine straight in the eyes, “I will do everything I can to make Arthur’s life a living hell for what he and his dead father did to my family and me. For what I could understand from his letters, Arthur cares a lot about your prince… losing him will break him. That’s why I’ll help you”

Gwaine was more than convinced now about the lord true intentions. He nodded, “Then my Lord, we have a deal. You told me you have a plan… tell me about it?”

“It’s kind of easy, actually. Today, I have received news from Camelot that a delegation from Mercia will go to Camelot to sign an alliance. My nephew has invited me to take part in the event. You and your friend will come with me as members of my personal guards. Since you’ll be with me and will be well disguised, Arthur will not suspect a thing… but you’ll have to be careful.  
When all the attention will be on the guests and the king, you’ll take the prince away and I’ll try to kill Arthur Pendragon… maybe not immediately, but surely when he’ll be weak and destroyed by his husband’s disappearance.”

Gwaine was impressed by the clever mind of his unexpected new ally. “Sounds like a good plan. However, Merlin will never leave if he thinks the queen is in danger”

“We’ll transfer the queen and the servant to my brother’s old castle. It had been abandoned for years, but it’s well hidden in the forest.”

“Good… can I ask you a question?.. When both Merlin and Hunith will disappear, aren’t you afraid Arthur will suspect and kill you?”

The lord shrugged. “I’m not afraid to die. I have no one to live for. Not my old family or one of my own. If I have to die to make him suffer, so be it”

 

^^^^

 

A few day later, they received a letter from Percival. He had been in Camelot for three weeks at the time.  
He confirmed the future arrival of a Mercian delegation and that Merlin was all right.

Gwaine was very upset to find out that it will not be King Bayard to lead the Delegation, but his son, Crown Prince Alexander. The prince was a regular visitor in Draken and he always had a thing for Merlin. He was very insistent in his affections. Merlin couldn’t stand him and asked Balinor not to invite him anymore. Nevertheless, the man had never stopped to send ‘love’ letters to Merlin… he was very explicit in his intentions. What a pervert!

Lancelot and Gwaine couldn’t get ready fast enough for their liking. After finding out, Alexander will soon be near Merlin again, they just HAD TO go to Camelot the soon as possible.

Once they had safety delivered Queen Hunith and Gwen to Tristan’s castle, they joined Lord Agravaine in the courtyard to departure for Camelot and their friend.


	15. Prince Alexander's Arrival

    _Percival_                                           _orphanage_                                 _Prince Alexander_

 

 

THREE WEEKS BEFORE GWAINE AND LANCELOT DEPARTUE- CAMELOT

Merlin was leaning against the window in his and Arthur’s rooms. He was facing the glass and his hands were against it.  
Arthur was on his knees in front of him, between Merlin and the wall under the window. He was currently sucking his husband’s cock to the root. He seemed not to have a gag reflex. His fingers were scissoring Merlin’s ass, preparing him for their traditional morning fuck.

Merlin was hot all over and put his forehead against the glass, seeking its coldness, when he gasped.

Arthur didn’t stop, interpreting it as a sign of pleasure. However, Merlin did it because of what he saw outside the window, below in the courtyard. He saw a tall man that he had never thought to see in Camelot.

It was Percival. He was dressed as a peasant and had a rucksack on his shoulders.

Merlin had not time to do anything, because Arthur stood up and fucked his husband against the wall, with Merlin’s leg around his waist.

 

^^^^

 

When Arthur went to train the knights, Merlin rushed outside. He found Percival helping building the garden of the almost complete orphanage. When their eyes met, Percival put his finger on his lips as to tell Merlin not to say anything out there.

Merlin nodded and came over, as to observe the works in progress. Once near Percival enough to be heard, he whispered to the fake peasant to come and see him at the Physician’s as soon as possible.

His bodyguard Elyan didn’t suspect a thing.

 

Merlin stayed there for a while and then, he went toward Gaius’ lab. However, before that, Arthur saw him passing the training fields and forced Merlin to witness the practices. Arthur never lost an opportunity to show off his beloved husband. Besides, all the knights adored their king Consort and they ended up being particularly good at training that day.

When Merlin was finally free, he rushed to Gaius. Percival was already there. Gaius was banging his arm.

“Gaius, is there somewhere where me and this man can talk in privacy?”

Gaius raised his eyebrow but didn’t express his opinion.

“You can go upstairs. Over there” he pointed the door above the few stairs.

“Thank you” Merlin and Percival went to the little room.

Once the door was closed, the two men hugged.

“Percival, what are you doing here? What about my mother? Gwaine? Lancelot?”

“Calm down, Merlin.” Percival smiled, “they are fine. They sent me here to see you and to gain as much information as possible so to decide when it will be the best moment to come and rescue you, my Lord. They couldn’t come with me for fear to be recognized. However, King Arthur had never seen my face so it’s safe. Gwaine and Lancelot are with the Queen, so you shouldn’t worry about her”

Merlin was touched by his friends’ loyalty. He loved and missed them so much. He was worried for them coming here, where they could be killed. Nevertheless, he wanted to leave. Arthur was insinuated in every part of his body and mind.

“Thank you so much, Percival. You are risking everything for me…. what are you going to do in the meantime?”

“For me and the others is honor helping you. You don’t have to worry about me, Merlin. I have apply to become a knight. Tomorrow, there will be my first test. I have been training since I was a child, so there won’t be a problem.”

“All right. I’ll help you as I can to find information. But I’m followed by a ‘bodyguard’ every time, so it will not be easy for me”

They was about to exiting, when Percival asked what was in his mind since the beginning.

“Merlin, Is… is King Arthur treating you well?”

Merlin swallowed hard and kept giving his back to the friend, “Yes. Yes, he is treating me well. I mean… he is very possessive, but he has never hurt me”

Percival signed in relief.

They exited and Percival went back to his work.

Merlin kept his head down, not wanting to face Gaius’ scary eyebrow.

“Merlin… are you doing something you shouldn’t?”

Merlin looked at the old man, whom was looking back at him knowing.

“Were you eavesdropping?” hissed Merlin.

“I’m sorry, my boy. I was just worried about you”

“Or were you spying on me to report to Arthur?” accused Merlin, hoping it wasn’t the true.

Gaius looked scandalized. “NO, NEVER. You have become very dear to me, Merlin. Almost like a son. I want to HELP you! I would do anything for you. Please, trust me!”

Merlin bit his lips. He was at odds with himself. It would be safer to let the less people as possible to know these plans, but Merlin was so tired to be alone in this foreign kingdom. He wanted to trust someone, to confide in someone… to have a friend. And if he had to choose somebody to be that person, it would be Gaius, without any doubts.

“Can I really trust you, Gaius?”

“You can, Merlin. I’ll die before betraying you”

Merlin nodded. “Ok… I’ll tell you everything”

“To avoid suspicions if someone enters my rooms, you can tell me everything while I do your weekly check-ups”

Arthur wanted to be sure that his husband was perfectly healthy and, since he wanted to be a father soon, he told Merlin to see Gaius for examinations at least once a week.

Merlin explained to Gaius everything: the letter from Doven, who Percival was, his mission and Merlin’s desire to escape. By the end of the story, Gaius had just finished to check if he was with child.

“I understand your will to go away, but I’m still worried. Arthur can be very dangerous. However, I’ll help you as I can…. By the way, I think you’d like to know that you are still not pregnant”

Merlin shrugged, as if he didn’t particularly care. After all, he already knew it.

Gaius narrowed his eyes… “You know, Merlin, when I tell a woman she is not with child, she usually have two types of reactions. She can be extremely happy or extremely sad and angry... however, THERE IS a reaction. Every time, I tell you aren’t pregnant, it looks like you’d already known about it”

“I don’t know what are you talking about?”

“Merlin…” Here it is… the scary eyebrow.

Merlin sighed...”All right..” He also told Gaius about his Dragonlord’s ability to control the conception.

The old man was amazed. “So fascinating! You’ll never stop surprising me, boy. I’ll back up your story, when you’ll tell Arthur you are sterile… even though I have a bad feeling about it”

Merlin beamed at his friend “Thanks Gaius”

 

^^^^

 

Merlin was having dinner with Arthur, when his husband told him a shocking news.

“Honey, in a week time, a delegation from Mercia will visit us to sign a peace treaty. “

Merlin frowned, “Mercia had never been friend with Camelot. In fact, I remember my father telling me that your father and king Bayard really hated each other. Why would he want an alliance with you?”

From south to north, the kingdoms were Camelot, Essentir, Mercia and Draken. At their east and west sides, lay smaller reigns such as Nemeth, Caerleon, Gawant (King Odin's kingdom), Daobeth, Amata and Tir-Mor. Mercia was Draken biggest ally. That’s why, Merlin was very confused.

“Well, I think it’s natural for Mercia to aim for an alliance with Camelot. After all, now enemies surround it. I have conquered both Essentir and Draken. Bayard is alone. Both his north and south neighbor kingdoms are mine now.”

Merlin nodded. It was logical, after all. Nevertheless, it still hurt to know that his father ex-friend is now a soon to be ally of the man who killed him.

“I understand, Arthur. Well, at least, it will be good to see King Bayard again. He used to visit Draken a lot, when I was a child”

“It will not be Bayard to lead the delegation. It will be his son, Prince Alexander.”

Merlin’s wine cup fell to the ground as soon as that name exited Arthur’s mouth.

“Wh..what?”

Arthur looked confused at his husband, “I said Prince Alexander will come to Camelot. You were ally with Mercia, so you should have met him before. What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

Merlin shook his head, “Nothing. It’s just that me and Prince Alexander didn’t properly get on”

Moreover, it was only Prince Pervert’s fault. Since they were little, Alexander had always been possessive of Merlin and growing up, the situation became really bad. As teenagers, Alexander followed Merlin everywhere. He appeared from behind corners whenever the brunet was alone and touched him in the most unappropriated places. He tended to steal Merlin’s clothes to sniff at them. Merlin found out about that when he came back to his chambers earlier than usual and found Alexander, intent to sniff and rub Merlin’s shirt on his face. The worst part was that he didn’t seem to be ashamed of that. He just said he was getting used to the smell of his pet.

From that day, Merlin tried to stay away from the other prince and Alexander didn’t like it… at all. One faithful night, a body on top of him woke Merlin up. It was the Mercian prince. He attempted to violate Merlin, saying that this way, they had to get married to avoid a scandalous. Merlin was about to use magic but Lancelot intervened and got Alexander off Merlin.  
To avoid war, they didn’t tell anyone about the assault on condition that Alexander didn’t come back in Draken. The prince reluctantly accepted. However, he kept sending Merlin very explicit letters, describing in a very detailed way what he’d like to do to him, his dear pet.

 

Merlin shuddered at the memory.

“Merlin, are you ok? Don’t worry about the prince. I’ll protect you if necessary,” Arthur asked gently.

“Yes, I’m fine... I was just thinking to the motive that pushed Prince Alexander to accept this mission. From what I can remember, he wasn’t very keen of his princely duties… he preferred a more frivolous life”

“I asked myself the same thing. He is famous for his life style… who knows? Maybe here in Camelot, there’s something that sparked his dormant interest”

“Yeah… Something…” Merlin whispered

 

^^^^

 

The week flew.

Merlin kept his mind off Prince Alexander by concentrating on the now- complete orphanage. With the knights, Gilli and Harry’ help he convinced the street children to go living in the new big house. They were weary at first, but after seeing they could stay there as much as they wanted, sleeping and eating freely, they become enthusiast. The hard lines on their faces were replaced by beaming smiles. The orphanage also help other people by giving those more jobs opportunities and the tutors were happy to educate new minds. It was needless to say that the children’s favorite moment of the day was when the nice and funny King Merlin came to visit, once a day.

For when Merlin escaped Camelot, the young king instructed Gaius to use Merlin’s money from Draken to pay for the orphanage and the tutors.

 

Too soon, it was the day of Alexander’s arrival, expected in the late afternoon. However, that morning saw Merlin and Arthur on the courtyard stairs, waiting for Arthur’s uncle.

Merlin had a bad feeling regarding Lord Agravaine. The man had a strange coldness in his eyes, even though he greeted his nephew and Merlin politely.

The brunet king felt someone watching him and turned his eyes to see two of Agravaine’s guards staring at him intensely. Merlin couldn’t see their faces, since they were covered by the kind of helmets that leaved only the eyes uncovered. The two men lowed their eyes and Merlin didn’t think about them any longer.

 

Later that afternoon, the kings of Camelot were again on the stairs. This time for the Mercian delegation. Soon, the blue banners of Mercia filled the courtyard and Prince Alexander stopped his horse in front of the royals, dismounting it.

He was a young man in his twenties. He was tall, dark brown haired and had bold blue eyes, which found Merlin immediately.  
He shook hands with Arthur and kissed Merlin on the hand.

He looked at Merlin straight in the eyes and showed his perfect white teeth “Hello, Merlin. As always, it’s a pleasure”

Arthur frowned. He didn’t like the way this man looked at his husband… not at all.

 

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

**Here is Albion's map as much similar as possible to the one I had in mind.... you can image Draken as the union between the kingdoms Elmet and Deria**


	16. The Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING1: non-con, torture, attemped kidnapping, possissive arthur, dark arthur, bondage
> 
> WARNING2: in this chapter, there will be a torture scene. it will be VERY cruel. if you are uncomfortable by these things, PLEASE do not read it. it is not necessary for the understanding of the chapter or the story.  
> I will report the begining and the end of the torture scene.

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

****       

 

 

That evening, a banquet was prepared for Prince Alexander’s arrival. Merlin was very nervous to be so near the man who had tried to violate him in past and, at the same time, to sit next to his husband.

Prince Alexander sat at Arthur’s right at the high table. Merlin was at his left. Next to Merlin sat Agravaine. While Alexander and Arthur spoke of policy, Merlin spent a lot of time talking to Agravaine about his Mother. He was relieved to know in details how good his mother was treated.

He thought he could ignore the foreign prince all evening, but Alexander had other ideas.

“So Merlin, it has been a lot of time since the last time we have seen each other…. I have to say that I missed you and our time together,” the prince said, eyeing Merlin up and down.

“I’m afraid it had not been enough time, your Highness” Merlin answered coldly, not wasting time in looking directly at him.

Arthur frowned. Not only at Merlin’s strange coldness, so out of character, but also at the too friendly manner Alexander spoke to his husband and at the way he looked at Merlin… as he was more delicious than the roast capon on the table. Arthur didn’t like it. No one looked at his husband like that. He would find out what happened between the two of them.

“How cold… you have never used my title before… please, don’t start now, Merlin. After all, we have a kind of story together” Alexander smirked.

Arthur’s anger was about to explode, but, before he could demand an explanation, the music for the dance started and, seeing his husband’s face, Merlin took his hand and asked him to dance with him. Arthur calmed down a bit at Merlin’s touch. He smirked victorious at the prince, while he got up to dance with HIS husband.

None of them saw the gaze full of hate that the prince directed to their joined hands.

While they were dancing, Arthur could not resist expressing his concerns.

“Merlin, were you and prince Alexander really lovers in the past, as he implied?” Arthur asked. His voice was full of possessiveness and murderous anger toward the prince in his eyes.

“Oh god, NO! He wished to, but I have never wanted him. Just the thought of his hands on me, makes me sick!... don’t let him play with you… he is just angry that you stole his toy”

“Good. Then, what happened between the two of you?”

“Not now, Arthur. I’ll tell you later, ok?”

“Deal”

During the rest of the feast, Alexander tried to engage Merlin into dancing with him or to talk alone, but Merlin always found an excuse to refuse and Arthur never left his side.

 

When Arthur and Merlin retired to their chambers, Arthur didn’t lose time in questioning his husband about his story with Alexander.  
While they undressed to go to bed, Merlin told him everything. How he and Alexander grew up together; the other’s possessiveness; his unappropriated behavior such as the clothes sniffing and the touches; how Alexander attempted to rape him one night and his successive removal from Drakaria and the letters.

At the end of the tale, Arthur was pacing their bedroom. Obviously, furious. Merlin had to remind him more than once of the importance of the peace treaty, to stop him from going directly to the guest wing and murdering the Mercian prince.

Arthur went to the door and ordered a guard to bring them a tank of ale.

“Ale? Don’t royals drink just the finest wine?” asked Merlin, amused.

“Yes, but what years of feasts with my father taught me, is that the best way to forget an awaked banquet is drinking a lot of ale” Arthur grinned.

Merlin tried uselessly to hide his laugh. This was the Arthur, whom he loved as a friend back in Draken. How he wished he could always be like this.

After drinking and laughing at some noble’s outfit during the feast, they went to bed. Since the evening had been stressful for the both of them, Arthur told Merlin they would not make love that night, but just cuddling. Arthur was doing the big spoon around Merlin, when he told him…

“Merlin, I don’t want you to be near Prince Alexander alone. You have to be always with someone else, preferably me. Ok, love? Promise me you’ll never be alone with him”

“Arthur….” Merlin started, but Arthur took his chin and turned his face toward his.

“PROMISE ME” Arthur insisted.

“Ok… I promise.”

Arthur relaxed… he kissed Merlin gently on the lips and when back to sleep. “Thank you. Good night, Merlin. I love you”

 

^^^^

 

The next morning, at lunchtime, Merlin was alone in his rooms. Arthur was with his counselors to define the last details to discuss in the afternoon meeting with the Mercian delegation. According to tradition, Merlin as the Consort should have had to accompany the royal guest to visit the city, but Arthur forbidden it and asked Leon to do it.

While he was eating, Daegal entered, announcing a visitor. Thinking it was a noble of the court, Merlin bid him permission to enter. He was very surprised to find Prince Alexander at his doorstep.

When Daegal left them alone, Alexander sat in front of Merlin at the table, starting eating as if he was in his own castle.

Merlin looked at him disbelieving.

“Alexander… what are you doing here?”

Cutting a piece of roast-beef, he said “well, we hadn’t had enough time to talk…so, I thought we could do it now, while your dear husband is elsewhere engaged”

“And if I don’ want to talk to you?”

“Why not? I could be your only ally in this place… King Arthur, eh? I have never seen it coming”

Merlin swallowed, uncomfortable. “Yeah, well… I didn’t exactly have a choice. It was him or my mother’s death.”

“I heard what happened to poor Hunith… and Balinor. By the way, did you know that I went to Draken to look for you and help you, when word came of Camelot invasion? I was so worried, you could be dead” Alexander looked at him with concern in his eyes, but Merlin knew better.

Merlin scoffed “Alexander, you are forgetting one thing… I know you! You probably looked for me to see if I was wandering in the woods alone and desperate, so that you could take me to your castle without being interrupt by anyone. You would have almost certainly locked me in a golden cage with my name on it as soon as I had entered the castle”

Alexander burst out laughing, “I had forgotten how clever you are. Oh Merlin, I didn’t know you had actually read my letters”. He looked at Merlin lustfully, “that golden cage is still in my bedroom, waiting for you, my pet. I have even bought a jeweled collar…. We’ll have so much fun together, Merlin. I can help you to get free of this filthy Pendragon and once in Mercia, we can retake your kingdom…. You just have to give me what I have always wanted: you”

Merlin had wide eyes. He didn’t understand why every man in his life wanted to make him a possession. “Right. Therefore, I’ll pass from a captor to another... Fantastic!! … No, thank you. At least Arthur let me walk freely. I don’t fancy becoming your sex slave, forced to act as your fucking dog!!” Merlin shouted.

In a second, Alexander was in front of Merlin, pressing him against the chair.

“You seems to have the foolish idea that you have a choice in this. It doesn’t matter to me if you are willing or not. I have wanted you since we were children and I’m tired to wait. In a way or another I’ll take you with me, where no one else will be allowed to see and to touch you; where I will fuck you every day and every night,” the prince hissed and leaned to kiss Merlin, when the doors opened.

Arthur entered and froze. From his point of view, he saw another man almost kissing his husband and the latter not doing anything to stop him. He was furious.

“Prince Alexander, I don’t know how you are used in Mercia, but here, being in the personal chambers of the king is considered treason. Especially, if you are a foreign guest. I suggest you to go, before I decide to discuss the treaty in the dungeons,” Arthur said with a voice full of bad-repressed anger.

Alexander shrugged and went out of the room. Immediately, Arthur locked the door and stormed toward Merlin, who was standing up.

"What the hell was that?” Arthur yelled

“Nothing. He just wanted to talk. He only said a bunch of nonsense. Calm down, Arthur”

“Calm down? CALM DOWN?? I have just found the man who had tried to rape my husband in my chambers ALONE with MY husband, trying to kiss him under my nose!! You promised me, Merlin”

“I’m sorry, Arthur…” Merlin tried to soothe his husband’s fury, knowing how dangerous he could be.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be sorry, love… soon. I’m afraid I need to punish you,” Arthur said with an alarming calm.

 

He walked to Merlin and started to rip his clothes. Merlin tried to fight back but it was useless. In a few minutes, he was completely naked. Arthur put him on his shoulder as a sack of potatoes and threw him on the bed.

“Arthur… What the hell are you doing?” Merlin yelled, frighten.

“I’m teaching you, what happens when you betray me or your promises to me,” said Arthur, smirking.

The blond king took the ropes from the bedposts and tied Merlin’s hands behind his back. Then, he tied up his ankles to each posts at the feet of the bed. He stood up and watched the view of his husband, lying on his back on their bed with his legs spread wide.

Merlin struggled “Arthur, no... Please... Let me go!”

Arthur ignored him and went to his desk. He took a wooden box from one of drawers and returned to the bed. He laid the box on the bed and laid on his side, next to Merlin. He started to caress his exposed body gently and he kissed him passionately, as he stroked Merlin’s cock and sucked his nipples. Merlin moaned, trying to go away from the touch. It was in vain.

When Merlin was hard, Arthur stopped touching him and opened the box.

“This should have been a surprised for our first month as a married couple. I wanted to make our time together even more enjoyable… but I guess we’ll have just to used it now”

To Merlin’s horror, the object inside the box was a crystal glass phallus. It was big.

“Oh god... Please, no” Merlin sobbed.

“Shh… don’t worry, love. It will feel good. I had it made especially for you… for when we want to play or I’m away and you may feel alone” Arthur smiled, gently.

He positioned himself between the brunet’s spread legs and, using the oil, he finger-fucked his husband. When Arthur found him ready, he slowly pushed the penis-shaped object in his husband’ ass. Once it was all in, Arthur allowed Merlin to get used to it. He pulled it out, leaving just the head inside and then, he pushed it in again. Merlin was screaming in a mix of pain, pleasure and frustration. He couldn’t do anything.

Arthur fucked him like that for a lot of time, touching the prostate, until he saw Merlin was about to come. He stopped and took a thin rope. He tied it around the base of Merlin’s dick, definitely preventing him to climax. Merlin let out a frustrated moan.

“Arthur… please…”

“No, Merlin. This is your punishment after all” Arthur hissed and returned to push in and out the phallus.

 

When it was time for the council meeting to discuss the treaty with Mercia, Merlin felt relieved, because it meant Arthur would free him from this torture. However, it wasn’t like that.

“All right, Merlin. Unfortunately, I have to go… but don’t think your punishment is over. You are going to wait for me like this. Tied up to the bed with your hole filled. However, I don’t want you to get bored, so I’ll ask George to keep doing what I have done until now. But he’ll not be allowed to directly touch you”

Merlin was in panic now. “Arthur, you can’t do this!”

“Of course I can! I’m your husband. You are MINE!! And this is our private place, our sanctuary, where we express our love in its most intimate level. You polluted it by allowing THAT man to enter it…and you have to pay for that”

Arthur took a piece of cloth and pushed it behind Merlin’s teeth, tying it behind his head and gagging him. He took another one and blindfolded his husband. Merlin was trashing on the bed.

“See you later, love” Arthur kissed Merlin on the gag and went.

 

Outside the room, Arthur told George what he had to do. “You don’t touch him; you don’t speak to him... You just go there and push that thing in his ass nonstop; until I come back… did I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sire” George bowed and went inside the room.

Arthur was normally very jealous, but George hadn’t a single disloyal bone in his body. Arthur seriously suspected he was also asexual. The manservant would see this as another of his duties.

 

^^^^

 

The meeting lasted more than two hours, but it went well if you don’t consider the fact that Arthur wanted to strangle prince Alexander, especially when he asked where Merlin was. Arthur was also proud of himself for being able to remain concentrate on the discussions, despite knowing what was happening in his chambers. At the end of the council, Arthur asked Elyan to be extremely careful and to watch out that Alexander didn’t go too much near Merlin.

Arthur opened the doors of his rooms. What he saw delighted him. Merlin was arching his back every time George thrust the phallus in. He was sweating all over and his muffled moans were a totally turn on. His cock was very swollen and red… ready to explode, but unable to do it. For his part, George’s face didn’t betrayal any expression. He was just rhythmically doing what his master ordered him to do.

“Is everything ok, George?” Merlin flinched at Arthur’s voice and moaned louder.

“Perfectly fine, my lord” he bowed deeply.

“Good. You can return to your duties, now.” When he was out, Arthur went to his husband, who was panting.

Arthur removed the blindfold, noticing Merlin’s tears. He untied his ankles too. Arthur sat against the headboard and positioned Merlin with his back against Arthur’s chest and between Arthur’s legs. His hands were still tied. Arthur removed the gag.

“Ar... Arthur… please, let me cum… I can’t take it anymore” Merlin whispered, tired.

“Are you really sorry for what you have done?” he asked, kissing the brunet’s neck.

“Yes... Yes, I’m so sorry. Please, let me come. Don’t let anyone else come in here, when I’m like this, please”

“Now, you know how I felt when I saw that bastard in here with you”

Merlin nodded.

“Ok, love. You have been very good. Now, I’ll reward you”

Arthur untied his hands, his cock and pulled out the phallus. He moved on top of Merlin and started to make love to him, slowly and sweetly. Merlin was so open for his husband.

“Tell me, Merlin… tell me you love me” Arthur ordered, while thrusting always with more force.

Merlin responded by turning away his face. However, Arthur didn’t allowed it.

“Tell me... Or I’ll have to punish you again”. Merlin panicked at that. He couldn’t stand something like that again.

“No, please… I am sorry. I… I love you, Arthur” Merlin was lying but, in that moment, it was necessary.

Arthur beamed “I love you too… so much” he speeded up his thrusts and they came together.

 

^^^^

 

The next day, Arthur didn’t let Merlin out of his sight. He was always with him. Obviously, Prince Alexander wasn’t happy about that. He had hoped to talk to Merlin again, to convince him to come to Mercia with him. However, since he didn’t manage to, he told his men to prepared for plan B: that night, they would kidnap the brunet King.

Alexander wasn’t the only one upset by the situation. Even Gwaine and Lancelot had hoped to be able to make themselves known to Merlin sooner, but he was never alone. Damn it!! With Percival, they decided to be as near as possible to Merlin, in order to act at the first possible moment.

 

That evening, Merlin and Arthur were walking in the corridors, when a guard ran to them.

“Sires, some men were seen starting a fire in the stables!”

Arthur was immediately in king mode “Merlin, stay here and be safe… I’ll come back as soon as I make sure what happened”. Then, he ran with the guard.

Merlin was about to follow him, when he was surrounded by five knights of Mercia.

“What...” he couldn’t finish, because a hand covered his mouth.

In a moment, Alexander was in front of him. “My pet, I think it’s time to take you home”, Alexander said lustfully, while indicating to his men to move.

“I don’t think so” Arthur’s dark voice said from behind them.

He wasn’t alone… ten of his knights were with him, looking very angrily at the Mercian.

“Pendragon… what are you doing here?” asked the prince, very frustrate for another failed plan.

Arthur laughed, “Do you REALLY think that you can plan to kidnap my husband in my castle without me knowing about it? Please, not even you can be that stupid!!” he snapped. “I have ears everywhere and you made the mistake to talk to your men near the servants’ quarters… I had just to wait for you to act… Men, take the prince to the dungeon. You know which cell. Kill these soldiers of his.”

The Camelot knights didn’t hesitate and dragged a screaming Alexander toward the dungeons, after killing his men.

Arthur went to Merlin, making sure he was unharmed. Once he was certain, he told him to go back to their chambers, while he dealt with Alexander.

“You don’t have to be afraid. I’ll be soon with you. Elyan will watch your back from afar”

Merlin nodded. “Arthur… thank you”

The blond smiled fondly to his love, “I’ll always protect you, as I had promised. A Pendragon never goes back to his words! No one can take you from me” he kissed Merlin and went to make sure that even the prince understood it.

 

^^^^

 

In the dungeon, Prince Alexander was denuded of his clothes. Fully naked, the knights had chained him to a chair. His hands were tied to the arms of the chair and a strap on his forehead made him unable to move his head.

Arthur entered the cell and dismissed everyone but Leon.

“Let me go, Pendragon. My father will make you pay for this. This means war”

Arthur laughed, “How stupid you are. First, I’m going to tell your father that you disappeared, after expressing your desired to visit the tavern. With your reputation, I doubted he’ll have problems believing it. Secondly, if he doesn’t believe me… what can he do?? I’m more powerful than he can ever image. I could crush your little kingdom with a finger if I wished to. All these chats about peace treaties are just for you. I don’t need them and your father knows it. Besides, he is old and ill… he’ll never risk going to war against me without an heir”

Alexander was frightened, because he knew Arthur was right. He was in trouble.

Smiling like a demon, Arthur continued, “Now, I’m going to show you what happens to the ones who try to steal my beloved. I’ll just tell that the others who tried, aren’t around anymore to relate it”

 

\----------------- **BEGINNING TORTURE SCENE** \------------------------------

“What can we do to you? Let’s see… ah, I know”

Arthur freed Alexander’s right hand. “First, I’m going to break all the fingers of the hands that dared to touch my husband”

He put the hand in front of the prince, so he could see his broken fingers very clearly. He took the thumb and slowly, he bent it backwards.

CRACK

Alexander screams with all his voice. The pain was unbelievable.

“Two…” Arthur hissed. Another CRACK… and so on, until the pinkie. Then, Arthur did the same to the left hand.

By then, Alexander was crying like a baby. He started to beg for mercy.

“Mercy? But I have just begun”. Arthur’s eyes were black. “Let me tell you my plans for you, Your Highness… I’m going to ensure that no one will recognize you as the prince of Mercia. After this, Leon will abandon you in the forest, naked and without the ability to talk and to see. I have broken your fingers so you will not be able to gesticulate or to write who you are… do you like my plan?”

“Please, please… no” Alexander was hysterical.

“Hush… I want to go back to my husband, so I’ll be as fast as possible”

Arthur gave a big tongs to Leon, who opened the prisoner’s mouth and pulled out his tongue with the tongs, keeping it outside. Because of strap, he couldn’t move his head.

The king came forward and showed a beautiful sharp knife to the prince, who watched it in pure panic. Without hesitation, Arthur cut the tongue. Alexander, if possible, screamed even more aloud.

“Leon, remind me to give this to the dogs to eat”

Arthur caressed the desperate prince’s cheeks. “Don’t worry, little prince… it’s almost over. Then, I’ll be out of your life and you will not be forced to SEE me ever again… quite literally” he smiled.

Alexander tried to beg again, but without the tongue, he was incomprehensible. Arthur ignored him and went to the fireplace to retrieve the hot metal sticks, used to brand criminals with the Pendragon symbol. He moved to the head of the prince, who was struggling so much to force Leon to block his shoulders.

“This is for Merlin, you bastard.”

Arthur sank the sticks in Alexander’s eyes, burning them. The screams and the smell of burned meat were very strong. In a few seconds, instead of the eyes, there were the images of two dragons.

\------------------- **END TORTURE SCENE** \-------------------------------

 

Alexander passed out because of the pain.

Even though Arthur had just broken fingers, cut a tongue and blinded a man, he seemed bored by all this.

“Leon, when he wakes up, abandon him in the forest. Let’s see how long he’ll survive”

 

Arthur was about to exit the dungeon, when a knight rushed toward him, panting.

“My Lord… king Merlin… king Merlin has disappeared!!”

Arthur’s world fell apart.

 

^^^^

 

Merlin watched for a moment Arthur going toward the dungeon. Then, he turned to go back to his chambers. Elyan not far behind him.

When he was almost there, a pair of arms took him from behind. He was about to yell but a very familiar voice whispered in his ear.

“With all the troubles we went through to come to you, you cannot ruin everything with your beautiful voice, mate”

Merlin turned around, smiling. “GWAINE! LANCELOT!” he embraced his best friends, but before he could do anything else, Elyan appeared from behind the corner… sword in his hands.

“Step back from him, NOW!!”

Lancelot didn’t lost time. With the fluency of a Draken knight, he defeated Elyan and punched him into unconsciousness.

“Let’s go, Merlin. Hurry” Gwaine urged him.

The trio reached Percival in the forest, waiting for them with horses. The group of friends disappeared in the night.


	17. The seed as been planted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like it.
> 
> WARNINGS: dark arthur, chapters death, no-graphic torture, mpreg

_**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^** _

__****         

 

Arthur sat on his throne, clenching its arms. He was looking down, breathing heavily. He was clearly furious. Leon had just return after a 4 hours research in the woods and was uncomfortable in front of his king.

“Leon, could you repeat what you had just told me?” Arthur hissed.

“Si…Sire, we didn’t found anything in the forest that could lead us to the Consort’s whereabouts”

“I WANT HIM FOUND!!!” Arthur yelled with all his strength, making the glass of the windows shake and Leon step back.

Since he had found out that Merlin was gone, Arthur was a mess. He didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know if his husband went on his own free will or had been kidnapped. To avoid any doubts, he sent a patrol to Doven to take Hunith and bring her to Camelot and ordered to all his knights to search for him in the castle and in the woods. However, without results. Arthur didn’t even know the identity of the men who took Merlin, since the only one who could know them was Elyan, but the knight was still unconscious.

A hand on his shoulder shook Arthur out of his thoughts.

“Don’t worry, Arthur. I’m sure you’ll find Merlin soon.”

“Thank you, Uncle. I don’t know what I’d do without your support”

“You’re all I have left of my dear sister… we are family. I’d do everything for you, nephew” Agravaine said, with a fake sweet smile. Eager to make Arthur pay.

^^^^

Merlin was very happy when he left Camelot and even more when his friends told him they were going where they had hidden his mother. He was shocked to find out it was all due to Lord Agravaine’s help. However, he couldn’t explain the strange weight in his heart, when he thought about Arthur dying by his uncle’s hands.

His thoughts were interrupted by their arrival at Tristan’s Castle. It was in ruins and made even more dreary by being in the heart of the forest, where the sun almost never shone.

At the front door of the castle, waiting for them, there was Gwen, who rushed toward them and threw herself in Lancelot’s open arms. They kissed passionately. Merlin was very surprised but also so happy for his friend. At least, something good came out of all this.

When Gwen ended the hug, she turned toward Merlin and bowed.

“I’m pleased to see you again, my Lord. The Queen will be delight to see you. She is upstairs”

Merlin went inside and he found his mother in the first room upstairs. Hunith was lying on the bed and was as pale as he remembered her. She turned toward the door and gasped.

“MERLIN!! My baby!” she opened her arms and Merlin dived in. They cried on each other’s shoulders and told how much they had missed each other.

“Tell me everything that happened to you, dear.”

Merlin told her everything, except the intimacy between him and Arthur. She was surprised to know that Gaius was still alive and proud that her son had been so kind with the children. At the end of the tale, she said, “we need to find a place where Arthur cannot find you. He will never stop looking for you… it’s obvious how much he needs you.”

Merlin nodded, “I know, mum. I have an idea, but I will not do anything until you are better and able to travel”

“No, love. Don’t worry about me…”

“Mother, this time, I will not leave you. It almost killed me the last time. I prefer to live in Camelot with you than to be free without you”

Hunith kissed her beautiful son’s forehead and after a few minutes, she shyly asked, “Honey, we both know what you had to do with Arthur as your husbandly duties… do I need to prepare myself to be a grandmother?”

Merlin widened his eyes, “NO! No, you don’t” he sighed, “I mean… my magic would have loved to allow Arthur to impregnate me, but I didn’t. I had almost yielded the last time Arthur and I did… well, you know… But I managed to avoid the pregnancy at the last second”

Hunith nodded, relieved.

“Now, get some rest, mum. I need to talk with the others”

 

Merlin found Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival in what should have been the Great Hall. He sat at the round table with them, after freeing himself from Gwaine’s crushing hug.

“So, Merlin. What are you going to do now?” Lancelot asked.

“First, I would like to thank you for coming back to rescue me…you weren’t obligate, but you did it… you are really the best friends a man can have. About what to do… I’d like to retake Draken, as you can image.”

“You’re welcome old friend. We thought the same. But how? Should we go to Draken?” asked Gwaine.

“No. I don’t think it’d be a good idea. Arthur told me that he had left a great part of his Army in Draken and that he killed or banished almost all our knights. It would be the four of us against an entire well-trained Army…. We need an ally… a strong one. I was thinking about Bayard.”

“Bayard? The Mercia King? I don’t think he’ll help us… isn’t he ally of Camelot now?” asked Lancelot.

Merlin shook his head, “what they have is the kind of peace treaty that lasts a few months or a couple of years, to allow the two kingdoms to breath before an eventual war. Arthur told me this himself. Therefore, Mercia is not Camelot true ally and Bayard proposed the alliance just because he thought to be surrendered by the enemy. I’m confident that he’ll be keen to retake Draken to decrease Arthur’s power. Besides, I don’t know what Arthur did to Alexander, but I’m sure it was nothing good. So, Bayard will want revenge… you know how protective he is of his son and only heir”

Merlin’s friends nodded, convinced.

“So, are we going to Mercia? When do we departure?” asked Percival.

“For now, we are safe here. I want to leave only when I’m certain that my mother can manage the journey… I will not abandon her this time”

^^^^

In Camelot, Arthur and Leon were entering in Elyan’s room, where he had been since he woke up the morning after the incident.

“Elyan, how are you? Can you remember what happened?” asked a frantic king.

“I’m fine, Sire. I apologie. I swear I tried to protect king Merlin”

“I’m sure of that. What happened?”

“The king was returning to his chambers, when two men appeared from nowhere. I thought they were going to hurt him, but then, the king hugged them and he seemed truly happy to see them” then, Elyan started to physically described them and Arthur’s heart stopped.

“I know who they were…. Lord Gwaine of Wyllt and Sir Lancelot… SHIT!!” Arthur punched the wall in frustration. He knew he had to kill them a lot of time ago.

“But how did they manage to enter the castle without being notice. The guards have the order to stop and question everyone who get near the castle. Moreover, how did they know this was the best moment to attack, since we were more distract by the presence of the Mercia delegation?” asked Leon.

“They have been helped… the only people the guards don’t control are the visit guests. Gwaine and Lancelot must have come with someone I had invited, who hided them.” Arthur turned to Elyan. “How did Merlin react when he saw his two friends?”

“Honestly, he didn’t seemed that surprised. At first, he was shocked that someone was attacking him. However, when he saw it was them, he was happy, relieved, but not surprise.”

Arthur gritted his teeth, “that’s mean he knew they were coming… but how? I have read all his letters and Elyan was always with him... Elyan, do you remember a moment you weren’t with him?”

“No, my lord. I have always watched him… Wait a moment; the only occasions I wasn’t physically with him were when he was at the Physician’s… but Gaius...”

“Gaius has become very affectionate to Merlin” Arthur finished for him. Of course, the old man would help Merlin. Arthur noticed the great amount of time they had spent together. It would have been easy for Gaius to help Merlin communicating with his friends.

“I have a lot of to think about… get some rest, Elyan...” Arthur said, walking toward the door with Leon.

“Sire…” Elyan called him. “The two men, who took the king, wore the uniforms of Lord Agravaine’s personal knights”

Arthur stopped… took a deep breath, “Thank you, Elyan” and exited.

 

Back in the king’s chambers, Leon asked, “Lord Agravaine? That’s impossible… he is your uncle!”

Arthur was looking outside of his window, thinking. He caress the point where he had made love with his husband so many times. “It’s not that impossible if you think about how much my uncle hates me.”

Leon frowned, “what?”

“Hadn’t you ever notice that my uncle rarely comes to Camelot? That’s because he hates me for killing his sister and my father for killing his brother. Besides, my father never invited him here in order to protect me from Agravaine. He had always thought my uncle was waiting for the right moment to take his revenge against us. By killing me, he would avenge his sister and make my father suffer.”

“Then, why is he here if you know all this?”

“Because he is the only family I have left. Despite my father paranoiac ideas, my uncle has never done anything against me but looking at me coldly sometimes, when he thought I was not paying attention. I just wanted to maintain the illusion to have at least one blood relative who loved me. However, it seems the illusion is over. Besides, Agravaine is a very private person. He personally selects all his men. There’s no way he wouldn’t have known about Gwaine and Lancelot …Leon, escort my uncle in the dungeons and start to question him. Do not held back. I want answers… in the meantime, I’ll go to Gaius.”

 

^^^^

 

Arthur entered the Physician’s room with five knights. Gaius was alone and he was writing something in an old book. When he heard the door being opened, he immediately closed the book and hide it under some papers.

Arthur noticed it.

“My lord, what can I do for you?”

Ignoring the old man, Arthur signaled his men to start to destroy everything.

“Arthur!! What’s the meaning of all this?” Gaius shouted, trying to save as much books as possible

“Simply, I want the truth. TELL ME WHERE IS MERLIN!!”

Gaius was shocked. “I don’t know, sire. I swear”

Arthur told his men to keep destroying. “I know that you helped him. TELL ME!”

“I don’t know!! Please, stop… this is my life work”

“Then, ANSWER ME!!” Arthur yelled.

Gaius started to cry and kneed in front of the king, “I swear, my lord. I do not know where he is. He just told me he would soon escape. Please”

Arthur believed him and told his men to stop. “You will not be execute only because of your years of services by my family side. But from now on, you will not have the Crown trust anymore.”

He indicated the knights to go, but before exiting, Arthur took the book hidden under the papers.

Gaius panicked “sire, that book is very important to me”

Arthur smiled, “I know. That’s why I want it… I’ll read it before going to sleep”

 

^^^^

 

The next day, saw Arthur at his desk. After reading Gaius’s books, he couldn’t sleep. Besides, that morning, a letter from Doven arrived, saying the Queen and her maidservant were gone. Arthur wasn’t surprised.

Gaius’s book dealt with Dragonlords. Since the major of books about them and magic had been destroyed, Gaius thought it would be good to write about them, taking advantage of the presence of the last Dragonlord. At first, it spoke of boring aspects, such as their history; but then, Gaius wrote something that Arthur didn’t know and that interested him a lot.

Dragonlords chose when and with who to have children. That meant that Merlin had lied to his husband. Arthur was impressed and angry at the same time. However, he had already an idea to how ‘to convince’ his love to have a baby. All he needed to do now was finding Merlin.

 

After a knock, Leon entered the room.

“My Lord, I’m here to report the situation with lord Agravaine… he refuses to talk.”

“Keep going. Don’t give him food and water. Flog him….and Leon, send a message to Bayard”

“Bayard? Why?”

“Because it’s to him that Merlin would go in search for help to retake his kingdom”

“But Bayard wants an alliance with us”

“Oh Leon, this treaty is just talks… Mercia will always be Camelot enemy and Merlin knows that. The most logic thing to do in his situation is going to the enemy of his enemy. What we have to do is reaching Bayard before him and convincing him to betray Merlin”

“How can we convince him if he hates us?”

Arthur smirked, “Prince Alexander is still our guest in the dungeons, right?”

“Yes, my Lord. I didn’t have time to dispose of him. After hearing of the Consort’s disappearance I spent all my time looking for him”

“Good. As long as we have Bayard’s beloved son, he will do as we ask. I have written a letter where I explain to him that I’ll kill Alexander if he helps Merlin. To have his son back, he has to warn me, when Merlin goes to him and possibly, distract him until I arrive. Sent with the letter also the ring finger of the prince. I’d be happy to capture Merlin before that, that’s why my uncle is in the dungeons… However, I want to be prepare for everything”

Leon nodded. “I will start to work immediately, Sire”

 

^^^^

 

Two days later, the unwell King Bayard received the letter from Camelot.

At first, he didn’t know what to do. On one hand, he didn’t want to lose the opportunity to humiliate Camelot by taking away Draken, King Arthur’s trophy. On the other hand, he couldn’t abandon his only son and heir, even though he was a disgrace.

He told so to his second in command, Lord Carrun.

“You could nominate King Merlin as your heir. This way, you would resolve all our problems”

“No, I can’t. My bloodline is more important than anything… I hope Balinor would forgive me from the other world. Respond to Camelot, saying I’ll do as they ask as long as they give me back my son”

 

^^^^

 

3 WEEKS LATER

 

In Camelot dungeons, Agravaine laid on the floor, by now just the ghost of his old self. However, he didn’t give in… the only thing that kept him going was the knowledge that all this was hurting his nephew.

From his part, Arthur was losing his patience. He had to think about a way to force Agravaine to talk… and he found it.

Smiling, he went to his uncle’s cell. Agravaine whimpered seeing him, expecting pain.

“Good morning, uncle… how are you?”

“Go playing to be King, Arthur… I have nothing to tell you!!

“I think you do… but before that, I’d like to show you something I have found in my father’s chamber. It was locked in a chest under the bed” Arthur showed his uncle a vial with a light pink liquid inside.

Agravaine was very confused, even though he had seen it somewhere before. “What’s that?”

“This… is the only thing left of my mother. Uther threw away everything else but this: her perfume.”

Agravaine gasped, looking at the perfume as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

“Yes, her perfume. It’s the only one left in the world. In this vial, there is her essence. All the paintings in your castle are cold, without life, without a soul… this is warm... this is HER. People say that a person’s perfume is enough to remember you that person’s every detail, as if she were right in front of you… as if she had never left”

Agravaine was crying by then. He lifted his weak arms, “Give it to me”

“I will if you tell me what I want” Arthur’s voice was falsely gently.

“N... no” whispered Agravaine.

Arthur shrugged, “suit yourself… I’ll just throw it away then”

“NO!! Please, no… he is in my brother Tristan’s castle… in the heart of the forest…. Please, give it to me”

Arthur beamed, “Thank you, uncle. Here…” he gave him the vial and moved near him.

Agravaine opened it and smelled it. A tear ran down his cheek… it was as if Ygraine was right there with him again. He whispered, “Ygraine...”

“Yes, uncle… you will soon be together again...” Arthur took a knife and, without hesitation, cut Agravaine’s throat. The man died in a few seconds, a peaceful smile on his face.

Arthur turned and exited the cell. He told Leon to prepare the horses.

 

They arrived at Tristan’s castle after two days, but by then, it was already empty.

“The fireplace has been used recently… they may have departure no more than 3 days ago. The tracks say they went north, toward Mercia,” Said Sir Kay.

The king was caressing the wood of the round table in the Great Hall, when he answered, “Let’s go back to Camelot. We can only wait for Bayard’s letter of confirmation… if he does not do it, we’ll attack Mercia”

 

^^^^

 

Merlin, his mother and his friends arrived in Mercia after seven days. They were warmly welcome by Bayard in the Throne Room.

“Thank you, King Bayard for your hospitality. I hope you remember my mother, Queen Hunith. These are my friends: Lord Gwaine, Lord Percival, Sir Lancelot, and his girlfriend, Gwen…. I’m sure you know why I’m here. Has Alexander come back from Camelot?”

“I think I do, King Merlin. Yes, my son came back, but since he was tortured by King Arthur, he decided to spent a few weeks at his Aunt’s Estate” the older king lied, since Alexander was still in Arthur’s hands. “However, we can talk about our common enemy tomorrow. Now, you need to rest after the long journey”

Merlin and the others bowed, “thank you, My Lord”

When they left, Bayard instructed Sir Callun to send word to Camelot that Merlin and his friends were here and to take with them Prince Alexander.

 

^^^^

 

Six days later, Bayard asked Merlin if they could talk alone in the Throne Room. When they were there, Bayard looked at Merlin in the eyes and said, “I’m so sorry”

Merlin frowned, “why are you apologizing?”

“I think that would be because of me, love,” a voice said behind the brunet king.

Merlin widened his eyes and turned, “Arthur?” he looked at Bayard, “what’s the meaning of all this?”

“I’m sorry, boy… I just want my son back,” the king whispered.

Merlin shook his head, shocked for being betrayed. “Stay away from me, Arthur”

“Oh love. Don’t make it more difficult for you… it’s over. You are surrendered and my men have already taken your mother and your friends”

“I will not go without fighting!!” Merlin took his sword from his bracelet and advanced toward Arthur, who defended himself.

Since Merlin was focused on Arthur, he didn’t saw Leon coming behind him, until he put a rag against Merlin’s mouth and nose. The brunet recognized the smell of a potent sleepy potion. He tried to fight, but in a moment, everything became black.

Arthur put away his sword and took Merlin from Leon, lifting him bridal style. He turned to Bayard, ”after we are gone, you’ll find your son in the courtyard with the signed treaty”  
Without another world, he walked away toward the horses to return to Camelot.

Bayard went to see his son, but found only one of his knights with a box in a hand and a parchment in the other. Inside the box, there was Alexander’s decapitated head. When the king saw it, his heart couldn’t take it and he died in the courtyard. The treaty said that in case of Bayard’s death without heir, Mercia would become part of Camelot kingdom.

 

^^^^

 

Merlin woke up in his and Arthur chambers in Camelot. He was tied up to the chair. It was afternoon.

“I see you are finally awake, sweetheart” Arthur’s voice came from behind him. He sat at the desk.

“Wish I wasn’t” Merlin’s voice was hoarse.

“Oh, don’t say that… you are finally home” Arthur stood up and walked toward Merlin. He caressed his cheek.

Merlin turned away from the touch, “where is my mother? My friends? What have done??”

“Don’t worry… your mother is under lock in a nice warm room. On the other hand, your friends are in the cold dungeons, where my men are ‘welcoming’ them to Camelot” Arthur evilly smiled.

“It’s me you want… let them go, Arthur!”

“No, I need them to convince you do to something for me” At Merlin’s questioning look, he answered, “I need to make you understand that you are MINE. I want to install this concept DEEPLY in you… I want you to give me a son and I want it NOW!!”

Merlin was afraid, “Arthur, I told you… I can’t decide that…”

“LIAR!!” Arthur yelled. “I know what you Dragonlords can do… so choose: or you give me a child or I’ll kill your mother and friends”

“Ple…please Arthur…”

“CHOOSE!!” Arthur hissed in his ear, drying his tears.

“Ok...” Merlin whispered. “I’ll do it”

Arthur beamed and kissed him, “oh, my love… I’m so happy. Come. Let’s do it now… when you are sure to be pregnant, I’ll tell my men to stop beating your friends”

They laid on the bed and Arthur was soon inside of Merlin.

“I missed you so much, darling… I’ll never let you go again, never again” he trust faster and faster.

When he was about to come, Merlin felt it and he concentrated instinctively to avoid the pregnancy, but Arthur noticed it.

“No, Merlin. Let it go… let it happen… I know you want it too! Accept my seed and let it bloom!” he came and Merlin didn’t opposed it.

His magic was delight; finally, it had want it wanted. Merlin’s eyes shone gold and he felt it. He felt Arthur’s seed taking place in his belly; he felt his magic wrapping it and transforming it in a new life…

It was done…

A baby… their baby had started to live in Merlin…. There was not turning back.

Arthur caught his breath and, after noticing Merlin’s golden eyes, he smiled.

“I take we did it”

Merlin could only nodded.

Arthur looked at him, awed. “Oh my God… you are perfect, Merlin. I love you so much!” he kissed Merlin passionately. Then, he kissed his belly. “Hello, little one… I love you too… can’t wait to meet you”

Arthur put his ear on the belly, “Thank you, Merlin. I’ll take very good care of the both of you”


	18. Arise, Knight of Camelot

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

****

 

 

Merlin lay on the bed; Arthur had still his ear on his belly, gently caressing it with his thumb. Merlin’s face was turned toward the window, where the warm sunrays entered the room. He didn’t know what to feel… he was about to become a father with the child of the man who had messed up his life.

Since he was a little boy, Merlin had always had a plan for his future. He would have dedicated to his Crown Prince duties, married Freya in front of his people, become king after his father’s natural or at least noble death, had a baby with his love… but it would never happen. He was the Prince of Draken no more, Freya was lost somewhere out there, he had been forced to marry someone he didn’t love and now, he was carrying his child, equally forced upon him.

The worst part was that, for some unknown reasons, he could not hate Arthur. Everything would be easier if he could hate the man. Every time he tried to, Merlin remembered the boy he met at his birthday celebrations. His open friendly smiles, his kindness and the way Arthur comforted him when Merlin needed it the most. Merlin could not stop thinking that his friend was still there, inside this twisted man. His father’s dragon, Kilgharrah, had once told Merlin that his determination to see goodness in people would be his undoing… it seemed he was right.

“Arthur?”

“Yes, love?” Arthur whispered, kissing his belly.

“You promised to stop your men from beating my friends”

Arthur sighed loudly, “I’ll do it later… I don’t want to leave you… Not now that the three of us are finally together”

Merlin swallowed, “you promised!”

“… Alright”, He said reluctantly, getting up.

He dressed up and exited the room, but not before kissing Merlin and his child again. He just couldn’t stop himself.

“Be safe, sweetheart. I don’t want you to tire yourself. If you wish to see your mother, she is on the third floor of the east wing. The guards will let you in… but do not try anything funny, because this time, I will not hesitate to order the built of the pyres.”

Once alone, Merlin sat on the bed for a few minute. Slowly and with a hint of fear, he caressed his belly for the first time in the past two hours. Immediately, he felt a spark… it was like magic… Merlin beamed, awed. He felt a connection with his son, as if they were meant to be part of each other… his son would have magic like him and he would be a Dragonlord too. Merlin crossed his arms protectively over his still flat stomach.

“Hello, my sweetie. I’m your daddy and, despite the way you were conceive, I’ll love you with every fiber of my heart. I’ll protect you from everything and everyone… you will be the happier child in the world. No one will force you to be something you don’t want to be… Come on; let’s go meeting your grandmother”

Unknown to Merlin, his magic was sending his feelings to his baby through their bond. Therefore, the first emotions that the child received in his life were the endless love his daddy felt for him and the uneasiness and dislike he felt for Arthur… and the baby shall never forget this, and he shall never forgive.

 

^^^^

 

Merlin arrived at the third floor. He noticed immediately that it was filled with armed knights and he deduced that the door with four guards outside of it was Hunith’s. Seeing so many people who could harm his baby, Merlin unconscionably put his right hand on his belly, as if to protect the life inside of it.

When the guards saw him, they bowed. “Sire. The prisoner didn’t leave this room since she was brought here”

“Prisoner?!? You’d better apologize and show respect… she is the Queen Mother, after all! I’ll send you to the stocks next time you speak about my mother this way,” Merlin snapped. The men apologized immediately, fearing the consequences. They didn’t know the woman inside was the King’s mother.

When he went inside, his mother was already on her feet and, in a moment, she was embracing him.

“Honey, thanks goodness, you are alright”

Merlin tightened the hug, “I’m so relieve you are unharmed, mum.”

“Don’t worry about me. Arthur forbidden me to leave this part of the castle, but I have the entire floor at my disposition and also a beautiful secluded garden… at least, I can be near you now”

“Oh mum… I will need you more than ever in the future…” Merlin paused, not knowing how to announce the pregnancy… would she be ashamed of him?

Hunith noticed her son’s preoccupied moon, “What’s worrying you so much, my dear? Tell me”

“Mother, I’m… I’m pregnant,” he said, looking down.

Hunith was shocked, her eyes wide. She hugged Merlin again, “Oh, my baby… how are you feeling?”

“Fine, I suppose. I don’t know what I should feel… on one hand, I’m angry because he has been forced upon me. On the other hand, I already love him. It’s strange, but I can feel we have a bond. A warm feeling invades me every time I think about my baby. Come what may, I’ll love him for the rest of my life… no matter who the other father is… Does it make sense?”

Hunith smiled sweetly, “It does, dear. There is nothing wrong in loving your child. I remember loving you since the moment I found out you existed…. The fact that you love the baby, despite these unhappy circumstances, shows that you will be an amazing father. Moreover, I’ll help in any way I can... I’ll always be here for you, my love”

Merlin beamed, relieved and, for the first time since all this began, he allowed himself to cry.

 

^^^^

 

Arthur was skipping happily toward the dungeons. He couldn’t stop smiling like a fool. How could he? He will be a father! And not from some brainless princess of his father’s choice, but from his true love. Obviously, if Merlin hadn’t been able to have children, Arthur would have been perfectly keen to adopt. However, the knowledge that his seed, his essence was planted and growing in Merlin’s womb exited and warmed him in an indescribable way. Merlin was really his now. The proof of that was in Merlin’s body right now…

After ordering his men to stop the beating, he entered Gwaine’s cell. The man had his wrists chained to the wall behind him; his lips were cut; he had black eyes and bruises all over his body.

When Gwaine saw the king, he hissed, “Come to finish your men’s dirty job, Pendragon?”

Arthur smiled, “Hello to you too, Gwaine”

“Fuck off”

The blond tutted, “This is not the way to talk to the man who has your life in the palm of his hand”

Gwaine shrugged, “Kill me if you want… I don’t care. At least, I’ll not have to see your disgusting face anymore”

Arthur laughed at that, “Oh, Gwaine, you have always amused me. And no. I have no intention to kill you if I can help it… I have a proposal for you”

“Why the hell would you spare me?”

“Because you and I are the same”

Gwaine’s face became darker, “I’m nothing like you!!” he yelled.

Arthur smirked. “We are exactly the same. I KNOW, Gwaine. I know how you feel about Merlin. I saw it in your eyes, when he was near you. You couldn’t stop looking at him, as if he was all your world, the most important person existing… I noticed it, because I recognized those longing gazes, those deeply in love looks… they were the same as mine, still are. Face it, Gwaine… we feel the same way about Merlin: we desire him, we want him to be ours and we want him to look at us and at no one else.”

Gwaine, for once, couldn’t talk. So, Arthur continued.

“But you are also right, Gwaine… we are not the same. Do you want to know in what are we different?”

Gwaine was breathing hard, whispering “Shut up”

“The different is that YOU. GAVE. UP…. As soon as Merlin rejected you, you let him go and came back being his dear friend. You didn’t even fight for him as a real man would have done… PATHETIC!!” Arthur spat.

“Unlike you, I respected his choice. I didn’t want to force him… My love for him wouldn’t have allowed me that. I love him so much to put his wishes before mine. If he just see a friend in me, so be it”

Arthur shook his head. “And where has it taken you? In the end, you are here, in this filthy cell, being beating up by my men… on the other hand, I have married Merlin, I have him in my bed… and now, MY child is growing in his belly”

Gwaine snapped at that and started to shout, trying to punch Arthur, “YOU BASTARD, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!”

Arthur laughed aloud at the other man’s distress. “I’ll take that as your congratulations… by the why, I still haven’t told you my proposal: I want you to become one of my knights. Lancelot has already accepted. I only had to threat his sweet Gwen to convince him. I’m sure Percival will follow the two of you… so, what do you say?”

“You must be madder than I thought if you think I’ll join you… why the hell should I do it?”

“Because this way, you can be with Merlin,” Arthur said with nonchalance.

Now, Gwaine was very confused, “What?”

“You are a very skilled and clever man, Gwaine. Your services would be quite useful in my Army… if you accept to swear your loyalty to me, I’ll allow you to see Merlin and to attend to him as much as you want. You would be able to be near him all the time, to laugh with him, to talk to him and to protect him, as you obviously wish to do. Of course, everything has to remain platonic… going beyond your limits will ensure you the pyre. “

The other man swallowed, “You seem sure I’ll agree to this madness”

Arthur smiled, knowing. “I’m. As I have told you before, we are more similar than you’d like to think: we’d do everything to be with Merlin.  
And if you have to swallow your pride and to submit to me to be with him, even as a friend, I’m sure you will… after all, Merlin is worthy it”

“In a few words, I have to choose between my pride, my life and Merlin…. Well, the answer should be obvious…”

 

^^^^

 

“Arise, Sir Lancelot, Knight of Camelot.” Lancelot did, looking slightly at Gwen, his love and his reason to live. The king promised him not to hurt Gwen for her betrayal and that he will allow them to marry in the future. He couldn’t not accept.

“Arise, Sir Percival, Knight of Camelot”

“Arise, Sir Gwaine, Knight of Camelot.” He did and looked at Merlin, sat on his throne. The young king was looking at his friend mortified, as if he knew it was his fault. Therefore, Gwaine gave him a little smile, communicating to him that it was ok; he was worthy all this. Gwaine will never abandon him again.

“You can stand proud knowing you are members of the noblest army the world has ever known.” Arthur finished the ceremony.

The three new knights, wearing Camelot red uniforms, bowed to their kings and turned toward the participants in the Great Hall, accepting their new position and their new destiny.


	19. Morgana?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are moving on a bit

**^^^^^^^^^^**

 

****     

 

 

Merlin sat on the grass of the clearing, where they were spending their afternoon. Arthur had decided to take him on a pick-nick to celebrate the end of his morning sickness.

Thinking about that, Merlin couldn’t stop himself from rubbing circles on his three mouth-belly. He secretly loved his light roundness, even though it seemed bigger due to his slender physique.

Laughter returned Merlin to the reality. Around him on the grass, sat five young girls from the orphanage. When he and Arthur had walked through the streets of the city toward the woods, some of the children started to follow their favorite kings. The knights tried to stop them, but Arthur had just laughed and allowed the children to come with them to the lake.

After eating, Arthur took the boys through the trees to teach them to recognize tracks and the basics of self-defense. In the meantime, Merlin and the girls collected flowers and were now making jewels with said flowers.

It was in these moments that Merlin couldn’t regret his decision to open the orphanage. These children were destined to die or to become criminals, but now, they had a future. Besides, he loved taking care of them like this and judging from the happy laughing and giggling coming from the trees, Arthur loved it too.

Merlin was surprise to find out Arthur was a natural carer. He was amazing and patience with the children and he took very good care of Merlin during his first trimester of pregnancy.

The morning sickness had started almost immediately and, adding to it, the changes Merlin’s body was going though had made the brunet very weak. During this period, when Merlin was at his worst, Arthur had never left him alone. Every morning, he comfort his husband, as Merlin was busy vomiting. He cuddled him in the night, avoiding the penetrate sex, since Merlin was unwell. He filled Merlin with endearments and little gifts to cheer him up. Merlin had really appreciated it.

They had been three peaceful months. However, there was one thing Arthur and Merlin disagreed about: the Physician’s issue.

Merlin wanted Gaius to take care of him during the pregnancy and to have during the labor, but Arthur didn’t. He was still upset with the old man’s involvement in Merlin’s escape and since then, he banished him from having contacts with the Royals. Arthur wanted to assign him a new doctor, but his husband refused.

Fortunately, Merlin’s basic knowledge in medicine made him able to take care of himself until now. There wasn’t much he could do to stop the sickness but eating light snacks during the day and drinking ginger tea. However, things couldn’t go on like this… Merlin needed a physician to check on him and the baby. Besides, he didn’t want a stranger with him, when he would be giving birth and Arthur was about to lose his patience.

 

Later that afternoon, Arthur ordered the knights to take back the children, while he and Merlin went for a walk along the lake to be alone for a while. The blond king held Merlin’s hand in his all the time… he had been even more possessive and protective since finding out about the baby.

While they were talking about this and that, they heard the sound of something snapping… probably a sprig.

Immediately, Arthur pushed Merlin behind him and prepared his sword, ready to defend his love. Merlin rolled his eyes. _Didn’t Arthur know he could defend himself?_

Merlin spied from behind Arthur and gasped. In front of them, there was a creature that shouldn’t be in Camelot: a unicorn. The silver and pure magical animal was peacefully drinking the water of the lake. It lifted its head only when it heard the arrival of the two men.

When the unicorn noticed Merlin, it started to walk toward him, as mesmerized. Arthur pointed his sword at it, but Merlin stopped him and came forward.

The young king went to the animal, caressed reverently its head with one hand, and stroked its long white neck with the other. Merlin didn’t understand how it could be here in Camelot, since unicorns followed the path of magic. Where there was magic, you could find unicorns… but there was not magic in Camelot.

Merlin turned to talk to Arthur about that and was shocked to find his husband with a crossbow in hand, ready to shot at the magical creature.

“Step aside, love. That horn will look great in our Great Hall,” Arthur said, aiming.

In response, Merlin put himself right in front of the animal, “Arthur, no. you can’t…”

“He is right…you shouldn’t hurt a pure creature like the unicorn” a deeply voice said, coming from the trees.

The two men looked at the source of the voice and found an old man with a stick, wearing a white tunic.

“Who are you to dare telling the king what to do?” Arthur snapped, going nearer Merlin…. His protective instincts kicking in once again.

“I’m Anhora, guardian of the unicorns. I’m not here to tell you what to do, king Arthur, but to warn you. Killing a pure being as a unicorn could doom and curse you and your kingdom to destruction”

Arthur was about to snap again, but his husband stopped him, “Arthur, he is telling the truth. Hurting a unicorn is one of the greatest sin in the magic world and the consequences are horrible and difficult to undone… the only way to stop the curse is to demonstrate to have a good heart”

Arthur narrowed his eyes at his love, “are you implying that I haven’t a pure heart?”

Merlin swallowed, afraid. He knew better that anyone that an angry Arthur was very dangerous. “I’m not saying that. I’m just asking if the unicorn horn is worthy the possible downfall of the kingdom”

Arthur relaxed. “You are right, darling. My vanity and pride shouldn’t overshadow my judgments”

Happy that Arthur had understood, Merlin turned back to Anhora, “why is the unicorn here? It should be in the Enchanted Forest, surrounded by magic”

“As a matter of fact, it IS surrounded by magic now…”

Merlin and Arthur frowned, confused. “How is it possible?”

Anhora just smiled and extended his hand to the unicorn, as to say it was time to go. The creature nuzzled Merlin’s face and belly. The Dragonlord laughed at the adorable gesture and watched happily, as the unicorn disappeared in the forest with his guardian.

 

^^^^

 

Back at the castle, Merlin wanted to talk to Gaius about what had happened by the lake. He was about to go toward the Physician’s room, when Arthur stopped him by holding his arm.

“Where are you going, Merlin?”

“To Gaius. I want to discuss with him about the unicorn return to Camelot and about him being again my physician”

“No. I told you I don’t want him near us. He is a traitor. He is lucky he had served my family for so many years or I would have already got rid of him,” Arthur said darkly, annoying to have to repeat himself again about the matter.

“He is a good man and a fantastic physician. He can take care of the baby and me like no one else. I want him, Arthur. It would make me feel safe during the pregnancy and the labor”

“I told you NO!! I have already chosen your new physician. He will take over in a few days.”

Merlin was unsettled. “What?? How dare you? It’s my body, my life and my baby we are talking about!!”

“He is also MY baby! So I have a right on him…. Besides, you are mine! Your body, your life, your soul… MINE!! Never forget that,” Arthur hissed. He kissed Merlin possessively and turned to go toward the armory.

Merlin emitted a frustrated sound, “Can I know his name at least? Or I’ll have to find out when I will have my legs spread wide, while pushing our son out of my body? You prat!”

Arthur stopped. Without turning he said, “Edwin Muirden, my sister’s personal physician. He is very efficient. He found many remedies during his stay in Camelot” Then, he went.

Merlin was very confused. _Arthur’s sister? Morgana?_ He thought that she had died after finding out she was her father’s murderer. However, from what Arthur had said, it seemed as if she was alive. Then, where was she?

The brunet promised himself to investigate on this, but now, he had to meet this infamous Edwin Muirden. Arthur could say what he wanted, but it’d be Merlin to decided who would touch his son.

 

^^^^

 

Since Merlin didn’t know anything about the physician, he asked Daegal about him. The servant told him that Muirden didn’t like to be in the public eyes, so he spent all this free time in his lab and chambers in the lowest levels of the dungeons.

While Merlin was walking toward the dungeons, he met Gwaine.

“Hey, mate, where are you going so fast?”

Gwaine was slowly getting used to his new life in Camelot. The fact that he could roamed freely and be with Merlin whenever he wanted was very helpful and he spent as much time as possible with his friend, watching over him. Since the knight was a natural charming person, no one suspected his unfriendly past with King Arthur. The only moments you could see it were when the two men spared against each other during training. Their fights were very realistic… too realistic.

“I’m going to meet Dr Muirden. I want to see what kind of man he is… I’ll see you later in your chambers to play at cards… I’ll definitely destroy you at poker this time. You can’t be lucky all the times”

Gwaine smiled, “Give it up, Emrys. You can’t lie to save your life”

“We’ll see about that,” Merlin promised, reassuming his journey.

Unknown to him, his friend and guardian angel decided to follow him.

 

^^^^

 

Merlin descended in the darkness of the dungeons and went always more down. At same point, he arrived to a crossroads. At the end of both corridors, there was a door. The one on the right was a normal door with a plate saying: ‘Physician’. The one on the left was heavier and threatening. Outside of it, there were two guards.

Merlin was curious to find out what or whom they were guarding, but he had to remind himself that he was there for Muirden. Moreover, he wanted to go away from this creepy place as soon as possible… something was very wrong down here.

He took the corridor on the right. He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He entered the room and looked around.

It was very different from Gaius rooms. The old man’s one was warm, cozy, sunny and smelled good. This one was completely the opposite. It was in semi-darkness, messy, it smelled of putrid and rotting. All around, there was vials containing parts of human bodies and… beetles? … However, the worst part was the muffled screams that Merlin could heard coming from behind a locked door at the end of the room.

Merlin was about to go seeing what it was, when someone touched his shoulder, making him scream. He turned around and came face to face with a young man, maybe a few years older than him. His more evident feature was the fact that burn scars marked half of his face.

“Edwin Muirden?” Merlin asked, after composing himself again.

Edwin leered at him, eyeing up and down. “At your service, Your Majesty. I have to admit that if I had known that you were so beautiful, I would have offer my services to the king sooner. I can’t wait to have the opportunity to examine you more _deeply_.” The man was looking at him lustfully.

Merlin stepped back, afraid and disgusted. He heard again the screams from the door. “Who’s in there?”

Edwin shrugged, “just a patience. He was bite by a snake and, as you may know, it is very painful”

Merlin could tell the man was lying. What he didn’t know was that Edwin’s beetles were currently eating said patience’s brain… he was their food.

What Merlin knew for sure was that this man would NEVER touch him or his baby. Arthur and his big ego could go and fuck themselves. Like hell, Merlin would allow this creeper to check him in the intimate way, requested between a physician and a pregnant patience.

Edwin stepped forward to stroke Merlin’s cheek, but the king avoided him. “Stay away from me!” he shouted.

The doctor smirked and advanced once more, but was stopped by Gwaine, who had grasped his arm to the point of almost breaking it.

“The king ordered you to stay back… I suggest you obey or I’ll throw you in a cell for the rest of your miserable life” the knight spat, venomous.  

Merlin had never been more grateful. He walked toward the exit door, followed by his friend, but before closing the door, Edwin’s voice stopped him. “See you next week, Sire. I really can’t wait to make your deeper acquaintance”

Once outside, Merlin shuddered… no way in hell Edwin will come near him again.

 

Gwaine hugged Merlin immediately. “THAT was the creepiest man I have ever seen… are you alright?”

“Yes… Thank you, Gwaine. How did you know that I needed you?”

“Any time, mate… I followed you and heard your scream”

Merlin nodded and the two men started to walk toward the stairs to return up in the castle. When they were once again at the crossroads, Merlin heard a woman crying. The sound was coming from the guarded door.

Unable to resist, he went toward the door and ordered the guards to open it.

“We can’t, my Lord. The king ordered us not to open the door to anyone without explicit order from him”

Merlin straightened his shoulders, seeming intimidating. “I am the King and I order you to OPEN. THE. DOOR.”

The guards paled and fretted to obey.

Merlin entered the small room and tried to ignore the awful smell. On the floor, a young woman laid, sobbing and facing the opposite wall, so the brunet couldn’t see her face. She was naked and very dirty. Merlin could see her ribs because of her thinness.

Merlin covered his mouth with his hand. He was shocked… who could have been so cruel to condemn someone to live like this? Sadly, he knew the answer, even though a part of him refused to connect this monster to the man that only that morning was laughing and playing with children by the lake.

Merlin slowly reached the woman. He gently put his cloak on her, to give her a bit of comfort and cover. She stiffed and after a moment, she started to turn around to see whom the person who touched her so gently for the first time in the past year and half was.

The king gasped when he saw her face. He hadn’t see those green eyes for many years. The last time was when King Uther visited Draken for the first and only time, bringing with him his ward and secret daughter to play with Merlin, since Prince Arthur was sick at the time.

If not for the eyes, he would have never betted that this broken woman was the kind and full of life girl he had met once.

He moved a strand of dark hair from her forehead, whispering, “Morgana?”


	20. There is hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this chapter is not of your satisfation, but this week I had a writing block... don't know why...
> 
> thanks everyone for your comments and kudos :-)

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

****              

 

 

“Morgana?”

“Morgana?... Yes, that’s my name” She whispered, unsure…. ‘When was the last time she had heard her own name?’

Merlin touched her gently on the shoulder, but she flinched at the touch.

After a few seconds of silent, she moved to do what she got used to do in the past year and an half, when someone visited her in the Black Room. She kneed in front of him and started to unfasten his breeches. When Merlin understood what her intentions were, he stopped her by gripping her arms.

“I’m sorry, Master” She was clearly terrified that she had done something wrong and she feared the consequences. The proofs of them covered her back. Her masters had specially liked to whip her, when she was stubborn.

Immediately, she laid on her back on what Merlin supposed was her bed. She spread her legs wide, inviting him to bed her.

Merlin looked at her with pity… this was not the strong willing girl he had met long time ago… this was just a broken woman, devoid of her soul and spirit.

“Have many men come here to look for your… company, my Lady?”

She nodded and Merlin closed his eyes.

How could Arthur do this to his own sister?

Merlin had to do something… However, he knew he could do nothing without his husband’s permission, at least regarding his sister- turned traitor. He had to convince Arthur to free her.

The king crouched down, so he could be somewhat eye-to-eye with the slave girl, and spoke to her as gently as possible, “Don’t worry, Morgana. I’ll do anything to take you out of here… you can trust me. I will not abandon you in this living grave”.

Said this, he covered her with his cloak once again and sweetly caressed her dirty hair. He stood up and exited the cell, eager to have a word with his husband.

 

^^^^

 

Merlin found Arthur in their chambers, reading some reports.

When he heard the door closing, Arthur lifted his head and smiled brightly at his husband. He could not help it… his love was so beautiful, especially now that he was pregnant with his son. He shined with life.

“Hey, my love… I was looking for you early. Where were you?”

Merlin could only start the inevitable discussion with a simple word: “Morgana”.

He saw Arthur stopping what he was doing, his face clouding over, widening his eyes for a brief moment, before putting on a nonchalant mask on his face… if Merlin hadn’t been looking at him so intensely, he would have missed this quick change of expressions.

Arthur lifted his eyes, looking at him. “I have no idea what are you talking about.”

“Yes, you do. Image my surprise when, on my way out of the dungeons, I found your supposed dead sister chained in a dark cell. And image what I thought when I saw her broken, dirty, dehydrated, almost starving and naked, reduced to a sex slave!” Merlin shouted at the end.

Arthur smirked evilly for a moment at the last part and he stood up from the desk slowly. “Honey, are you sure you don’t need to rest? I think your hormones are starting to influence your mind negatively, making you a bit paranoid… And what do you mean when you say you were exiting the dungeons? What were you doing there in the first place??”

“Don’t screw with my head. I was curious about this Edwin Muirden. And by the way, the day I’ll willingly let that man touching me or our baby is the day I decide to kill my mother… that means NEVER!! And don’t change the subject… why is your sister kept down there like an animal? And why I was not inform about this little detail?”

Arthur sighed tiredly. Merlin was not supposed to find out about Morgana. Arthur had hoped she would rot down there for the rest of her life, unnoticed by his love.

“Sweetheart, I didn’t want to concern you with this unimportant element… she is nothing. She is there to pay for her crimes: she killed our father and was about to betray us by helping King Cenred invading us. She deserves to suffer!” Arthur gritted his teeth.

Merlin pinched the ridge of his nose, “Arthur, you have to understand that this is not justice; this is not how a king should act. What kind of man would condemn his sister to that?”

Arthur was now furious, “You cannot tell me what to do… I’M THE KING!! Besides, she is a traitor. She would have watch my people and me dying, while being crowned Queen! She wouldn’t have hesitated to do to me what I did to her… I did what I had to”

“By doing this, you are no better than her!! There is nothing worse than becoming like the person you hate or disagree with… Moreover, thanks to you I AM the king too… so, I CAN tell you what to do.”

Arthur clenched his jaw, “She deserved it!”

“And what has that solved? It has just made you a monster. It has just made you as bad as her… she was obviously full of bitterness, full of hate and that made her willing to hurt her family, as you did… So, how come you are better than her?” Merlin was desperate to make Arthur understand, to know that the man in front of him was not just a heartless bastard, that there was still hope.

The blond lowed his eyes, biting his lips. “Then, what should I have done? She had to be stopped… I couldn’t let her go as if nothing happened. Nor I can now. That will make me appear weak.”

Merlin sighed with relief at Arthur’s doubts (there was hope!) and approached him, touching gently his right muscular arm.

“You are right. She had to be punished for her crimes… but a good king has to be careful not to mix justice with his own personal revenge. What you did to Morgana is revenge and, according to me, it has showed your weakness, because you let your personal feelings interfere with your duty as King.”

Arthur swallowed hard, Merlin was right. “Doesn’t matter… Now, it’s too late”

“It’s never too late to do the right thing. Free Morgana from that hole. You can lock her in a tower, where she will be able to see the sun; give her more food, for God sake; and please stop treating her like the castle whore… that’s the most cowardly thing a man can do to a woman!”

“Are you saying I should show compassion? I thought I had to be strong…”

“Don't you think compassion can also show strength?”

The silence between them was momentary thick. Arthur put his left hand on Merlin’s, where it was still touching his arm.

“That’s not what my father has taught me all my life. He taught me that a king has to be strong, firm and inflexible, showing his superiority at every possible occasion. He thought that things like compassion would destroy a king”

Merlin huffed, “I’m not surprise… No offence, Arthur, but Uther Pendragon was not famous for being the best of the kings. In fact, he was the joke of the other royals during the banquets. Besides, look at where this attitude of his took him… he ended up killed by his own daughter; in my opinion, the worst death for a father… being murdered by your own child.” He turned very serious, “What kind of king would Camelot want? One so cruel to hurt his sister in that cowardly way? Or one who does what’s right and just, no matter his selfish feelings, and shows compassion and love, instead of cruelty and arrogance?”

Arthur was about to give in, but he was still hesitant… therefor, Merlin used his best secret weapon.

“Please, Arthur… do it for me…” Merlin touched his round belly “… do it for us! Don’t be like Uther… you CAN be better than him!”

Arthur straightened himself at that. When he found out Merlin was with child, he had promised himself that he would not be like his father… he had promised himself that he would love his son, showing him he cared and raising him in a world filled with love, light… feelings. However, he couldn’t do it knowing what he had done to his sister… to avoid becoming like Uther, he had to change… starting now.

“You are right, my beloved… my son deserves better than a father like Uther… I’ll give immediately the order to move Morgana to the highest tower of the castle, where she will spend her lifelong sentence for treason and murder…without any further forms of punishments”

Merlin beamed at that and, surprising the both of them, he hugged Arthur on his own accord for the first time since they got married.

When the brunet noticed what he was doing, he tried to step back, but Arthur tightened the hug and kissed Merlin passionately.

 

Merlin yelped, when Arthur lifted him bridal style to carry him to the bed. The blond started to kiss and lick Merlin’s neck, but the brunet tried to push him away, gripping his shoulders.

“Arthur, stop it… you just said you would free Morgana! We don’t have time for this”

Arthur sighed, “I’ll do it once we have finished here”

“No… now, Arthur”

“Fine! At least, let him do something quick… come on, love… I have missed you in the past three mouths”

Merlin hadn’t the time to protest, because Arthur moved them to lay on their sides, their heads facing the other’s cock. The blond lowed their pants, freeing their penises, and started to kiss Merlin’s.

Noticing his husband stillness, Arthur pushed his hips forward, directly on Merlin’s face. “Please, Merlin… Later, I’ll have to do a very difficult thing…for you. I think you can manage to do this for me in exchange...”

Arthur just heard a murmured “Prat”, before feeling the warmth of Merlin’s mouth around his dick.

Once they had cum in each other’s mouth, swallowing, the older king kissed his husband and went to order his sister’s release from the Black Room.

 

^^^^

 

Three days later, Merlin was walking toward the west tower of the castle, where he would see Morgana for the first time since her release. Arthur was currently taking care of Edwin, after Merlin had told him of his encounter with the physician.

Arthur had put her in the west tower so she would be near Hunith and more knights could guard them. Moreover, this would allow Gwen to serve both her Mistresses without the need to run to different parts of the castle. Needless to say, she was delight to be at the princess’s service again.

 

He arrived at the foot of the stairs of the tower and the knights on duty bowed to him. Merlin went upstairs and unlocked the big, heavy door.

The room was almost big as Gaius’s chambers, but lacked all its furniture. It only had a comfortable bed, a desk and two wardrobes. At the left of the door, there was a big window, which filled the room with the morning sunrays.

Morgana was on the bed, sitting against the headboard, where her face could remain in the shadows, since she was still not used to the light.

She wore a white nightdress. Her long black hair was clean and brushed. However, her skin was unhealthily pale and she had black circles under her eyes… maybe because of her nightmares.

Her eyes were unfocused, looking toward the open window, where a vase of flowers was present, spreading their flavor (no doubt Gwen’s idea).

Merlin walked toward the bed and sat next to her on it, leaning against the headboard. Gwen had told him that Morgana hadn’t talk yet, so they stood like that in silent. Suddently, Merlin felt her small hand squeezing his and, after a moment, she leaned to rest her head on his shoulder, still looking at the window.

The king was shocked, but he considered it a good sign. Maybe, Morgana just needed human comfort and kindness. Although, he couldn’t explain why she sought them in him and not in her old friend Gwen.

“Don’t worry, Morgana. In here, no one will hurt you. I think you have suffered enough. You will have more than one meal a day, water whenever you want, and all the proper clothes. No more going around naked… it’s not proper for a Lady…”

He is surprised to hear her light chuckling.

 

After about an hour, he decided it was time to go, “I’ll see you tomorrow, sister in-law”.

He stood up from the bed, but didn’t manage to go far. Her hand stopped him. He turned to face her and was shocked to see her eyes even more unfocused, as in trance, while looking at his belly. Her grip on his arm became stronger and her hoarse voice seemed to come from another world.

She pointed at his belly with the index finger, “ _THIS is the beginning of the end… the hatred to HIS love_ …”

With that, she fainted against her pillows, letting go of Merlin.

The brunet remained stilled for a long time, unsure of what had just happened…

If he didn’t know better, he would think Morgana had just had a vision…

No, it was impossible… she couldn’t have… how?

Merlin used his magic to see inside of Morgana and gasped…

He ran away from the room, full of questions.

_How was it possible? Why? Why now?_

The young king didn’t know how came that Uther’s daughter had that golden light deeply in her chest. However, he knew one thing for sure: MORGANA HAD MAGIC.


	21. The nightmare begins...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: dark Arthur, quotes from episode 2x03

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

****     

 

 

Arthur strode toward Edwin’s rooms, followed by Leon and other three knights. Everyone could feel the rage coming from the king: he was seeing red.

Arthur had not lost time and had gone immediately to deal with the man in question, as soon as Merlin had told him about the less than noble intentions of the young physician and about his suspicions that Edwin was torturing someone down there in the dungeons. Besides, Merlin had informed him that many peasants had told him that since Edwin’s arrival, many men and women had disappeared into air.

Once there, the blond charged into the chamber without knocking, making the doctor jump. He was in the middle of the preparation of a smelly potion and was surprise to see the king. He had only met him once, when he was hired.

“My Lord, how may I serve you?”

Arthur didn’t answer. He just slowly walked around the room, observing curiously the vials and tools around him.

He stopped in front of a glass vase full of black insects. “What are these?”

“These are my treasures, Sire. They are a very rare species of beetles that eats human flesh. Thanks to this ability, I use them to cure my patients’ internal diseases… I have spent all my life training them… they are the secret of my success”

Arthur raised an eyebrow at him, “Interesting… Muirden, I’m here because it had come to my attention that you may have act improperly toward my Consort and some of Camelot inhabitants… What do you have to say?”

“Your Majesty, I don’t know where this is coming from, but I can ensure you that I only desire to help and to serve the Crown with my knowledge.”

His words would have been convincing if Arthur hadn’t seen the lust in his eyes at the mention of his husband. It had been brief, but there nonetheless… it was his death sentence.

Turning to his men, Arthur ordered them to seize the man and to search the room for any trace of the missing people.

After a few minutes, Sir Leon called his king, “My Lord, look at this…”

Arthur reached Leon, whose voice was coming from an adjacent room. What he saw inside of it made him sick.

All around the little room, there were parts of human bones, at different states of decomposition. Some beetles were still eating from them. In the middle of the room, there was a table with shackles on it… no doubt, to restrain the poor victims.

The king turned his shocked and disgusted face toward the physician, held between two knights. “What’s the meaning of all this???”

Edwin shrugged, “My little ones needed to eat.” He said it, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Arthur gritted his teeth, “and you wanted to touch my dear husband with your filthy hands, you disgusting worm?”

He chuckled, “Oh yes, I have dreamed to touch Merlin with these hands every night since the first time I saw that white soft skin, those sapphire eyes and oh those lips… a masterpiece”

The blond’s face clouded over, “You’ll pay for this… Sir Kay, find my servant and tell him to look for the longest chest he can find and to meet us with it in the woods.” Then, he told the others to go with the prisoner through the tunnels that leaded outside the castle.

Muirden frowned, “Where are you taking me? It’s in my rights to have a just trial…” The closing door muffled his protests.

Before following them, Arthur told Leon to take all the beetles containers there were.

 

^^^^

 

The knights and Arthur went deep into the woods. On the way, they found George and Sir Kay, carrying a long wooden settle.

When they stopped, Arthur ordered Edwin to dig a large hole in the ground. The man tried to refuse but the knights unnumbered him; so he had no choice. With his bare hands, he created a hole, no understanding the king’s intentions.

When he finished, Arthur had an evil smirk on his lips. “Edwin Muirden, for your crimes against King Merlin Pendragon and Camelot people, I sentence you to death… the conviction: Being buried alive”

Edwin’s face lost all color. His eyes widened, terrified. He tried to get free, struggling, but in no time, the knights managed to tie him up, bounding his hands and his ankles.

“Please, NO… please, I beg you, Sire… I’ll never do it again… I swear.” The physician kept begging and pleading, as the knights were lowering him inside the chest that George had brought.

Arthur got closer and looked down at the now crying man, “I’m sure you will never do it again! And since I haven’t forgotten your services, I will not let you die alone… your ‘little ones’ will keep you company. After all… they need to eat”

Having said that, Leon and George emptied four jars of beetles inside the chest, covering completely a struggling Edwin. After that, they quickly closed the trunk, locking it and muffling Muirden’s hysterical screams.

The other knights threw the chest in the hole and started to cover it with terrain at Arthur’s signal.

“Sire, won’t King Merlin be upset about this decision?” Leon asked.

“He can’t be upset of something he won’t know had occurred…”

The king turned around and returned to the castle.

 

^^^^

 

Later at dinner, after Arthur had took care of Edwin and Merlin had come back from visiting Morgana, discovering her magic, the two kings sat at the dinner table in their chambers.

Arthur noticed that Merlin was just playing with his food, without eating it. He seemed lost in his thought.

“What’s wrong, honey? Are you all right? It’s something wrong with the baby?” He asked, worried.

“No, no… nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired…” Merlin said. Something told him it wouldn’t be a good idea to inform Arthur of Morgana’s… gifts.

“Well… I may have something to cheer you up: Edwin Muirden is gone.”

Merlin frowned, “What do you mean gone? What have you done?”

“Nothing, my love. I have just told him to go and never return to Camelot or facing the consequences of his actions… He choose to go. He won’t bother you anymore.”

Merlin sighed in relief and hugged his belly protectively. “I’m happy… thank you, Arthur”

Arthur beamed at him. “Now, we have to find a physician for you”

“After this experience, I’m even more convince that Gaius should have the job”

“Merlin…”

“Arthur! Do you want to risk finding another Edwin? At least, we know that Gaius will never hurt me… please” The brunet touched his husband’s hand, knowing how much Arthur was more open-minded, when Merlin was the one to initiate their physical interactions.

The blond sighed heavily, “All right… Gaius will be your physician. However, one more wrong move and I will kill him with my own bare hands… now, I have to seek a doctor for Morgana too, since Gaius isn’t comfortable around her.”

Merlin didn’t want some stranger to find out about Morgana’s magic… he had to think about something. “Maybe I have an idea. I could ask Alice, Drakaria Court Physician, to come here and attend to your sister. Besides, she is a great midwife, so she would be able to help Gaius taking care of me and our son”

Arthur considered what he had said, “Won’t she be needed in Draken?”

“Not so much… I mean, she is not so young anymore, so she let Aglain, her apprentice, do everything. She have only been attended the royal family and in case of emergence for the past few years.”

Yes, Alice would be the solution to this problem… Even though the old woman didn’t have magic, she was used to it and wouldn’t be uncomfortable around Morgana.

Arthur nodded, “it’s a good idea, love. Please, sent her a letter first thing tomorrow morning…”

The blond king looked at his husband lustfully and kissed his hand. “You know that you are the most important thing in the world for me, right? Everything I do is for you…”

“…For us” Merlin corrected him, rubbing his belly.

Arthur smiled, “Of course. However, if one day I have to choose between you and our child, I will ALWAYS choose you… I love you so much! ... Remember Merlin, no one loves you more than I do.”

Arthur’s eyes shone with such an honesty and passion that Merlin could only nod at his declaration… feeling at the same time scared and touched by Arthur’s intensity.

“Now, let me show you how much you matter to me…”

 

^^^^

 

A week later, Alice arrived in Camelot. Merlin and she greeted each other warmly. Alice had always been like a grandmother for the young king, after all.

Merlin was shocked to discover that Alice and Gaius had a story together and, by their lovesick gazes, it seemed like the feelings were still there.

 

After a few days, Merlin was walking toward his private garden, when he distinctively felt somebody using magic. Knowing it could only be Morgana, he rushed to her tower.

Upon arriving there, he saw the guards trying to dominate some flames that were burning the curtains. Morgana was on her bed. Her hands were covering her head and her legs were against the chest. The guards ended the fire and Merlin, going near the girl, asked them what had happened.

As soon as Morgana heard Merlin’s voice, she lifted her face and threw herself at him, hugging him tight and sobbing on his shoulder.

“We don’t know, Sire. We have just heard the Witch’s screams and when we entered, we found the room set alight…. We need to inform King Arthur…”

“NO! “ Merlin screamed aloud involuntary, “I mean… no need to disturb him for such a frivolous things. Her maidservant must have forgotten to blow out the candle… I can take care of things from here. Thank you for your great service… You may return to your duties”

Once alone in the room, Merlin asked her, “What happened, Morgana?”

The girl lifted her head and watched him in the eyes, “It happened so quickly. It was terrifying…”

“It's alright. You're safe now…” Merlin caressed her sweating face.

“It was me. I set the room alight. I started the fire…I did it just by looking at it, the flames suddenly leapt higher. I'm scared, Merlin. I don't understand anything anymore. I need to know what's happening… Please.”

Merlin hesitated just for a moment. He swallowed and looked directly at her scared and wide eye, “Morgana, what I am about to tell you may be scary at first… but you don’t need to be afraid. You can trust me. You know you can…”

She nodded immediately, trusting Merlin with all her heart and tightening her grip on his shirt. Merlin had noticed that she was becoming always more clingy toward him. Every time he visited her, it was always more difficult to get away... Morgana just wouldn’t let him go. She maintained a physical contact with him all the time; moreover, she followed him around the room like a lost puppy. Gwen had even told him that Morgana asked about him every day… and her eyes…she looked at Merlin as is he was her world…

“Morgana, you have a gift inside of you… something that makes you special… however, sometimes this gift can be difficult to control and in this cases, strange things can happen… like setting a room on fire …”

She frowned, but then, she understood, “Is it magic, Merlin?” she whispered it.

“Yes, I think it is. I have it too … but it’s nothing to be scared of… you are still the same Morgana, just more special…”

She smiled at that. She was so happy to know what was happening… she was happy not to be alone anymore.

“How can I control it?”

“You need training… I can help you with it. But not today… you need to rest now… and remember, don’t tell anyone else about your magic”

She consented and hugged him, breathing his smell. At usual, it took Merlin a lot to exit the tower.

 

^^^^

 

The next day, Merlin went to Gaius for his check-ups. Alice was there too, since she moved in the little room above the main area.

“Gaius, who was Morgana’s family?”

“Well, as you know, Uther was her father. But she had been raised for nine years by Lord Gorlois in Cornwall. He was a good man and loved Morgana as if she was his biological daughter. Her mother, Lady Viviane Le Fay, was a beautiful but mystery woman… No one knew where she came from… “

“Le Fay? I have heard this name before… now I remember: it was the name of a noble family, which lived in the most northern area of my kingdom. They had magic too… but many years ago, the whole family was exterminated… my grandfather thought there were no survivors. Is it possible that a young Vivien managed to run away from the massacre?”

“It’s possible… it would explain her aura… so similar to the one of your people… so full of mystery, ethereal and… magical” The old man answered, while analyzing Merlin’s belly. “Why are you asking me these things, my boy?”

“… Morgana has magic…”

Gaius, who was about to insert two fingers in Merlin’s rectum to feel the baby, stopped immediately and widened his eyes, “WHAT?? Are you sure?”

“Quite sure… I have felt it… but she can’t control it”

Gaius looked at Alice, “This just confirms what I thought…”

Merlin was confused, “What?”

“Merlin, I suspect that magic is coming back to Camelot…”

It was the young man’s turn to be surprised, “WHAT?? How?”

“I have noticed a change in the air; I have found out that the herbs have a stronger curative power and some of them shouldn’t even exist without magic… Moreover, while I was gathering these herbs in the wood, I’m quite certain that I have met… a goblin…” Gaius was clearly uncomfortable to talk about that encounter. “And now, you are telling me that Morgana has magic…”

“Yeah… and Arthur and I met a unicorn a few weeks ago…. What’s bringing magic back in the most magic-less kingdom of all?”

“I think it’s you, Merlin”

The king was shocked, “Me?”

“Do you know why your family name is Emrys?”

He shook his head and Gaius answered, “Centuries ago, a Seer foretold that when magic needed it the most, the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived, named Emrys, would walk among men to return magic to its rightful place… She said this while pointing at a young man: the first Dragonlord. So, since then, people had tended to call him and his descendants ‘Emrys’, sensing that this great savior would probably come from the most magical race… from men with a human body but the soul of a dragon.”

“What are you trying to say, Gaius?”

“Isn’t it obvious? YOU are the Emrys… since you came here, magic has been returning…in the earth; magical creatures are drawn to you and now, even the dormant magic in people are waking up… no doubts, Morgana’s comes from her mother’s family side. You are attracting Magic, my boy.”

“Wow… this is a bit too much to take in all at ones. I need to think about all this for a bit… Therefore, let’s concentrate on one problem at a time… I obviously need to start Morgana’s training… we’ll have to do it at least for six hours a day”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Merlin. Arthur won’t like you spending so much time with his traitor sister…”

“Well, maybe I should tell him… it would be hypocrite of him to hate her magic when he has me as a husband”

Gaius sighed, “I’m not worried about him hating magic… it’s obvious he has no problem with it. However, I am afraid that he will not see Morgana’s magic kindly… having all that power makes her a bigger threat to his reign than before… I’m sure he’ll kill her because of it”

“I have magic too and he is not afraid of me…”

“That’s because he has something to control you with: your love for your mother and your friends. As long as he has them, he knows you will do as he says...”

Merlin knew he was right. He started to rub his round stomach gently, “… and soon, he’ll have another hostage to use against me… the most important one.”

The physician nodded, “Exactly. However, he can use no one against Morgana… she is alone and therefore, uncontrollable…. In Arthur’s eyes: dangerous.”

“She can’t be left untrained… she will become a danger for others and herself… if I can’t do it, someone else must…” Merlin thought about it for a moment. What he had to do was risky, but necessary. “I have to free Morgana”

Gaius and Alice gasped, “Are you mad, boy?”

“She needs to learn to control her gifts… and the Druids can help her. So, I’ll free her and send her to them… she may even find some peace of mind with them, after what Arthur has done to her…”

“This is absolute madness… but I consider you like a son, Merlin… so I’ll help you as I can”

The brunet smiled at his friend, “Thank you, Gaius... I really appreciate it. I’d like to ask you and Alice to prepare a special potion for me…”

 

^^^^

 

A few days later, the plan was ready. Merlin went to Morgana to tell her what she had to do that evening.

As usual, when she saw him entering the room, she beamed at him and hugged him tight. “I missed you, Merlin. When can we start our magic lessons?”

“Morgana, I can’t be the one to teach you magic…Arthur would become suspicious and if he finds out about you, he will probably kill you”

She was confused and afraid, “Then, what should I do?”

Merlin swallowed, “… well, I’m going to help you escape from here. Then, you have to go to the Druids in Draken… they can help you… they will protect you, teach you everything you need to know about yourself and your magic.”

“NO… I won’t go… I cannot go without you. You are all I have, Merlin. Please, I need you. You are the light to my darkness.”

“If you stay here, I will not be able to be your light, Morgana, because Arthur will stop both of us. Tonight, when you heard the guards falling asleep, take this key and escape. You know this castle very well… so, use the secret tunnel at the foot of the tower. In the forest, Gwen has hidden a bag with provisions and a horse. Use this map to find the Druids in the Enchanted Forest”

Morgana was trembling, but she nodded as she took the key of her prison and the map, “Won’t the guards hear me running away?”

Merlin shook his head, “No… this morning, they have ingested a particular potion, hidden in their breakfast. This draught makes someone fall in a deep sleep after hours from the consumption. If my calculations are correct, they should fall unconscious around midnight… so, no one will be accused of treason for helping you, since everyone will be in their chambers, sleeping”

“I understand… thank you, Merlin… I’ll never forget about this”

He smiled, “I hope you will find who you really are, Morgana. Remember, there’s nothing wrong in being different… Magic is a force for good… don’t be afraid of it”

Her eyes watered at that, moved that someone could be so kind to her.

Before Merlin could exit the room, Morgana surprised him by kissing him on the lips. Merlin couldn’t stop but notice how she and Arthur were really brother and sister… they kissed in the same way: passionately, aggressively, possessively, with domination… love?

Morgana pulled back and whispered, “Thank you”

Merlin ran from the room. Morgana’s affections were pleasant but unwelcome… thanks Goodness, she will soon be away from Camelot. She will start a new life; maybe a new love… and Merlin will never see her again.

 

In the room, Morgana touched her lips, smiling at the sensation of his lips on hers. Merlin was special… like her. They were made for each other.

“When I’m stronger, I will be back for you, my sweet Merlin”

 

^^^^

 

At midnight, the warning bell rang… Arthur sat quickly on bed, where he was embracing possessively his husband and baby.

Leon entered the king’s chambers, “My lords, Morgana is gone…”

_And the nightmare began…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took inspiration for Edwin's punishment from the first scenes of the film "The Mummy" (1999)


	22. Night full of stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter, I will deal with merlin's pregnancy. I have never had a baby, so if I have made mistakes about the pregnancy, I apologize. 
> 
> there may be a slight dub-con, but don't worry... arthur wanted it!

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

      

 

 

Merlin was standing on the stairs of the courtyard, watching his husband studying his horse saddle, ready to depart with Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival for the mission the druids’ leader, Iseldir, had presented them the day before.

Merlin started to caress his nine-month pregnant belly and couldn’t stop himself from thinking about what has happened in the past six months since Morgana’s disappearance.

 

^^^^

 

The first week after Morgana’s escape and the knights’ failures to find her, Arthur had been very suspicious of everyone, Merlin included.

He had practically locked his husband in their rooms for days, before being convinced that the brunet was innocent… after all, he had been sleeping in Arthur’s arms when Morgana escaped…

Since then, Morgana had become Camelot number one wanted person…

 

As the time went on, Merlin had noticed that always more people showed sign of Magic, Gaius included, and he had been awed and happy not to be the only one having these gifts.

Arthur had accepted magic return with open arms and had allowed his beloved to open a little school to help people learning to control their new abilities that were becoming stronger every passing days. Moreover, the blond king had decided to use the patrols not only to defend the kingdom, but also to look for lost magical objects, in order to protect them in Camelot Vault.

Merlin had felt his own magic becoming always more powerful, but unfortunately, it had also become always more tiring for him using it, as his pregnancy went on. He had ended up stopping using it almost completely the day he had fainted during a Council meeting, after making the light of a candle shine brighter…. He would always remember Arthur’s face at the time and his furious and determinate eyes when he had forbidden Merlin to use magic before the baby’s birth.

Merlin had known he was right, but it was frustrating to feel all that power growing in him and being unable to use it. But for his little one, it was worth it.

 

….

 

Regarding the pregnancy, it couldn’t go better.

When Merlin had been five-month pregnant, he had felt his baby kicking for the first time.

He had been walking toward the orphanage, when suddenly he had felt a light pressure on the left side of his belly. At first, he had been worried… however, when he had felt another, he had understood what it was and his beaming smile could have broken his face as big as it was. Immediately, he had started to run, not knowing where to. Without thinking, he had found himself charging in the Council Room, where Arthur was holding a boring meeting about taxes.

When Arthur had heard the loud sound of the doors being slamming against the wall, he looked up annoyed. He changed it in worried, as he had seen that it was his love entering with his hands secured around his belly.

“Merlin, it’s something wrong? Are you in pain?” he had asked, getting up from his chair at the head of the table.

Merlin had answered by throwing himself in Arthur’s arms, wrapping his legs around his waist and his arms around his neck. Needless to say, Arthur had been pleasantly surprised… he had noticed Merlin’s mood swings, but this was strange even for him.

Before Arthur had been able to ask what was going on, he had felt it… a light kick against his own stomach… he stiffed.

“What… Was that…” he had been speechless.

Merlin had looked at him in the eyes and grinned, “Yes. Our little sunshine has decided to let himself know”

Arthur’s whole face had lighted up at that and had screamed of joy, hugging Merlin as much as he could.

That evening, there had been a feast and Merlin had had so much fun to forget to deepen why he had gone to Arthur instead of his mother as soon as he felt the child.

From that day on, King Arthur had been rarely seen not touching his husband’s belly or whispering directly at the life inside of it.

 

During his sixth month, Merlin had started to crave the strangest types of food at the strangest hours, especially at night.

One of these nights, Arthur had been woken by the frantic voice of his darling, who was shaking him to wake him up. Thinking they were in peril, Arthur had awoke in a second, jumping out of the bed and grasping his sword, ready to defend his husband. However, no one had been there.

Panting, Arthur had turned to look at Merlin, innocently lying on the bed, “Merlin... what?”

“I’m hungry,” he had said, as if it was the most simple and normal thing in the world.

Arthur had raised an eyebrow, “Hungry? We are in the middle of the night… how can you be hungry?”

The brunet had shrugged. “I don’t know, but I am… your son is. So, go and bring us pickled eggs with strawberry juice, big man… shoo,” he had ordered, doing a dismissing gesture with his hand toward the door.

Arthur had been outraged, “Are kidding me? I am TIRED…”

“Are you saying you don’t want to take care of your son and husband???” Merlin had yelled, “I should have known it… Get out of my way, Pendragon… I’m going to find myself a real man…”

“OK!! You win… I’ll go… happy?” Arthur had given in… Damn mood swings! Damn Hormones!!

Merlin had smiled, satisfied, “Very…oh and don’t forget the honey cake”

Arthur had huffed, exiting the rooms.

When he had returned with a tray filled with food, he had ignored the guards’ giggles.

As he was watching his husband mixing the food together, Arthur had not been able to resist, “Merlin, you shouldn’t eat all that… is it my imagination, or are you getting fat?”

That had been clearly the wrong thing to say. Merlin had stiffed… a piece of honey cake and egg half way to his mouth. His face had closed up and darkened. He had looked at Arthur, as if he was an insect to squash immediately and without hesitation.

In a second, Arthur had found himself being thrown out of the door by an invisible force. He had land on his bottom in the corridor.

He had been forced to sleep alone and in another room for two weeks. Merlin had forgiven him only because he had ordered some of his men to bring back Merlin’s favorite food from Draken … thanks to Alice for the life-saving information.

 

The last three months of pregnancy had been a blessing and a curse for the blond king. On one hand, Merlin had been constantly horny; on the other hand, he had ached all over.

The latter had seen Arthur massaging his beloved’s feet and back every day.

The former… well… Arthur had not being able to complain about it. After all, a round and full of life Merlin was the hottest thing in the world. Besides, being aroused so much had done something to Merlin’s personality too.

One day, Arthur had been reading his reports in his chambers, when his Consort had stormed in, all flushed.

“Bed… Now!!”

Arthur had frowned, surprised. “What…”

He had been unable to finish his question, because suddenly, he had been send by Merlin’s magic on the bed…

“Merlin… how many times do I have to tell you how dangerous it is for you to use magic?”

The brunet has struggled his hips, sitting on the blond’s cock. With his magic, he had tied Arthur’s hands to the bedposts and had started to take off his breeches.

“SHUT UP, Arthur. Because of you and your brat, I’m so fucking hot all over… I can’t take it anymore… it’s all your fault, so shut up and give me your big cock”

That said, he had undressed himself, sitting again on Arthur’s lower belly… this time, naked. Making circular movements with his hips, Merlin had brought Arthur to full erection. Without hesitation, he had sat on the blond’s cock, taking it all it.

Arthur had moaned loudly and felt a slap hitting his face.

“Haven’t I just told you to shut up??”

Using magic, Merlin had summoned the crystal glass phallus that Arthur had used to punish him once.

“This should do the job perfectly”

Merlin’s magic had pushed it in Arthur’s mouth, gagging him. Then, it had started to pull the phallus in and out, fucking his mouth at the rhythm of Merlin’s thrusts, as he rode the bound blonde.

Arthur had moaned even more… he had never been so turned on in his entire life.

Too soon, the both of them had come and Merlin had fainted on Arthur’s chest. The magic had let the blond go, allowing him check on his husband.

As he had thought, Merlin had just collapsed because of the great use of magic, while so far gone in the pregnancy.

He had rearranged his darling in a more comfortable position, before lying down too. Arthur had grinned like a fool while looking at the ceiling… “Wow… that was so damn hot… when the baby is born, I will have to ask Merlin to do this more often…”

The next day, Arthur had gone to Gaius and Alice, who had recently got married, to ask them what had exactly happened to Merlin. It was Alice to answer, since she had lived with Dragonlords all her life.

“Nothing to be worried about, Sire. Dragonlords are creature with a human body but the soul of a dragon. Usually these two elements are in perfect balance… however, the balance has been shaken slightly, due to Merlin’s condition. What happened to you yesterday is just because of the momentary predominance of the dragon part of his being… dragons’ mating is famous for being a bit violent, my lord”

Embarrassed and blushing, Arthur had returned to his duties.

 

….

 

Merlin had been half way through his ninth month, when a delegation of Druids had asked an meeting with the kings.

Arthur and Merlin had received them in the Throne room, sitting in their thrones. The delegation had been made of no more than six druids.

A man with gray hair had come forward. “Greetings, King Arthur and King Merlin. I thank you for your generosity in listening to us… My name is Iseldir, leader of the druids living in the far borders of your kingdom.”

“Welcome to Camelot, Iseldir. What can we do for you?” Arthur had asked, taking Merlin’s hand in his.

“My Lords, we come to you asking for help in the search of the person who has stolen something very precious to us… a treasure that my people has hidden and protected for centuries”

“What makes you think we can help you find this person?” Arthur had asked.

“Because of the identity of the thief and her relation to you, King Arthur. Besides, the way she’ll use the taken object will affect everyone… in a way or another”

“Who is this person?” Merlin had asked hesitantly… probably already knowing the answer.

“Unfortunately, it is Morgana Pendragon”

Icy silent had met his announcement. Arthur had tensed up at that.

“My sister? Are you sure? What was she doing with you?”

“Yes, my Lord. I’m sure. She came to us from another Druid Camp a month ago. She begged us to take her in to teach her to control her magic better than the other druids had done… We are peaceful people and it’s in our mores to welcome everyone who may ask for it. She joined us and immediately, we noticed she was extremely curious about our knowledge and magical tools, but we saw no evil in that… However, two days ago, she was seen stealing our most important relic, disappearing toward north… the young girl who had managed to inform us was killed by Morgana, because she had tried to stop her”

Arthur had been shocked and had not noticed Merlin’s pale face. “Morgana has magic? This explains how she had managed to escape us… I’m sorry for your loss and don’t worry… Camelot will help you finding this criminal and making her pay for what she has done…. Tell me, Iseldir, what did she steal?”

The druid had sighed deeply, sad, “The Cup of Life”

 

^^^^

 

That’s why Merlin was now watching Arthur mounting his horse to look for his traitor sister and to recuperate the Cup of life.

Iseldir had told them about what the Cup could capable of doing: to bring someone back to life; to nurse every diseases and to make people immortal.

In Morgana’s hands, that Cup could be used for great evil.

“Don’t worry, my love. We will be back in no time. Take care of yourself and our son… I love you, Merlin” that said, Arthur and the knights rode toward north.

Merlin found himself strangely hoping for the safe return of his child’s father.

 

^^^^

 

Three days after Arthur’s departure, Merlin was in his chamber at night, looking beyond the walls of Camelot, where many lights could be seen moving in the forest.

Some hours before, he had send a patrol to investigate what was happening, but they had never come back.

He was about to go and call for an emergency Council Meeting, when a female voice came from behind him.

“Don’t they seem a night full of stars? They are beautiful, but never as much as you”

Merlin turned around, coming face to face with his sister in-law, “Morgana?”

She smiled sweetly at him, but her eyes were evil. “Hello, my Merlin”


	23. Release the Wilddeoren!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... this chapter is not very long, but it was necessary, because it will allow me to write a more intense chapter next time...  
> I apologize if it's not what you expected....  
> I have quoted different episodes.
> 
> in the next one, there will be: Merlin/Morgana, Arthur's plan... and a baby :-)  
> hopefully, the wait will be worth it...

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

****   

 

 

After departing from Camelot, Arthur and his knights, Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival rode to north toward Essentir, where Morgana was almost certainly hiding.

The king had decided to take with him the three ex-Drakenian knights instead of Leon or Elyan, because he didn’t trust them enough to leave them with his husband without his surveillance. Besides, it was time to get to know them better and the only way to do that was to experience an adventure together.

The plan was relatively simple: go to Essentir, look for his sister, recuperate the Cup of Life and take her back to Camelot with them, where Arthur would be sure to kill her in a public execution. Last time, he didn’t kill her because of the love he still had felt for the kind girl he grew up with… but now, it was enough… that girl was gone.

They were currently riding along an old path in the forest, chatting amicably. Gwaine kept talking about a fabulous new type of apple he had discovered on the stand of a foreign trader the week before. Arthur found him annoying, but at the same time a funny fellow.

They didn’t wear their Camelot uniforms, to avoid being recognized.

Suddenly, they heard a sound from the trees and bushes, but before being able to react, they were hit at the neck by a dart and fell into darkness.

 

….

 

When they returned to consciousness, they were on the floor inside a large cage. Outside of it, there were hundreds of men, probably bandits. Fortunately, they had still their swords with them.

Two of the bandits, probably the leaders, came forward.

“Right, you filthy vermin…I’m Jarl and this is my friend Hengist. You are… guests in his Fortress. I want to know who you are and what are you doing in my kingdom?”

Arthur narrowed his eyes at him, “YOUR kingdom??”

The bandit smirked, proud, “yes. I had an understanding with King Cenred. He didn’t bother me, and I didn't bother him. Now that he is gone, I can do what I want with these lands… I have to thank King Arthur if I ever see him…. now, I’ll ask you one more time, who are you?”

The question was followed by silent.

Another bandit brought Arthur's bag to Jarl, “It was confiscated from the prisoners, My Lord. It may hold some clues about who they are”  
Jarl emptied the bag and found nothing. When he threw the bag to the floor, it made a metallic sound. Jarl cut it open and found some coins with the Pendragon symbol on them, sign that they was part of the Crown treasure.

The bandit smiled, licking his lips, “Well, well, well. It seems we are entertaining royalty. Hengist, it seems we are destined to be in the presence of royals nowadays… and both Pendragon, nonetheless…”

Arthur stepped forward at that, “Pendragon?? You met another Pendragon? It was Morgana, wasn’t she? Where?”

“Whoa… Calm down Blondie… yes, we met your beautiful sister two days ago. And I have to tell you, sire, that she is very angry with you…”

“Stop with all this nonsenses… I want blood! Release the Wildren!” Hengist yelled.

The cage door opened and a giant rat emerged.

“Crap… we have to find a way out, guys… I don’t fancy being eaten by that thing,” Gwaine said with a disgusted face, branding his sword.

“For once, I agree with you, mate” Lancelot said.

“Not before I find my answers” Arthur told them, “distract it… then, we will run to the tunnel from which it came out”

The king turned toward Jarl and grabbed him by the throat, pulling him toward the cage. He asked him, lowly and intimidating, “Where is Morgana?”

As the man remained silent, Arthur put his sword to Jarl’s balls, making him cry. “Where. is. she?”

“Last time I saw her, she was at the head of big army, marching on Camelot… I would be careful if I were you, Pendragon… her men couldn’t die!” he smiled, evilly.

Arthur stopped breathing, not because of the immortal army part, but because of what he had said before that… ‘ _Marching on Camelot… Camelot….MERLIN_!!’

Pure fury invaded him and without hesitation, he stabbed the bandit with his sword, killing him.

“NOOO…After them!!” Hengist entered the cage through the door.

Arthur went to his companions, “GO! Down the tunnel… hurry!”

Once they were all in the tunnel, Percival broke the rope and the gate fell, trapping Hengist in with the Wildren…he had never managed to escape.

 

Once outside the fortress, Arthur started to run in the woods toward Camelot.

“Sire, where are you going?” Lancelot asked, not having heard what Jarl had told Arthur.

“Camelot… Morgana is heading there with her immortal Army… I’ll be damned if I’ll let her touch my husband and my child… I can’t lose time here”

The knights gasped. They were extremely worried too now. Immediately, they ran after the king.

 

^^^^

 

When they arrived in the forest surrounding the castle, they noticed the smoke coming from it…Bodies were strewn through the streets… Camelot knights’ bodies. They were too late.

“There is a secret passage down the wall… we can enter from there… remember, our first priority is to find Merlin and take him to safety” Arthur said to his men firmly, even if he was slightly shaking.

They emerged in a desert corridor. They heard footsteps and were relieved when they found out it was Gaius and Elyan.

“Elyan, what happened?” Arthur asked, very worried now.

“They came out of nowhere, a mighty army. Weapons were useless against them. Th-they were men, Sire, but not men. Nothing could kill them. Nothing… Leon and the other knights still alive are in the dungeons.”

“Where is Merlin? What have they done to my husband??”

“When they attacked, he was in his rooms. I went immediately to him to protect him… but when I arrived, enemy soldiers were already guarding outside his chambers. I was waiting for the right moment to attack, when the doors opened and other men dragged your Consort away. They are taking him to the throne room as we speak.”

“And there, is where I have to go… Gwaine, Elyan, Lancelot, Percival take Gaius and make your way to the woods beyond the castle” Arthur ordered, before heading toward the Throne Room.

“I am fed up with threes… I come with you, Pendragon,” Gwaine said, following the king.

“Gwaine…”

“No, Arthur, no… I HAVE TO come and find Merlin… you know why… after all, we are the same…” The brown haired man said, giving a meaningful gaze to the blond.

Arthur sighed, “All right, let’s go”

 

….

 

Gwaine and Arthur crawled to the edge of the balcony above the Throne Room, filled with noblemen and surrounded by a dark air.

In front of the two thrones stood Morgana in all her beauty and power. She wore a white dress and her lips were red as blood. She was talking.

“…Those that defy me, those that choose to fight, they will surely die. But those who do not resist, those that choose to welcome change, they will have a future here…”

“You have no right to the throne!!” An old nobleman, friend of Uther, shouted. Outraged that his friend and king’s murderer was about to rule Camelot.

Morgana fixed her cold green eyes on him. Expressionless, she lifted her hand and closed it in a fist… her eyes shining gold. The man touched his throat as he felt it closing… he started to choke. Morgana smirked at his sufferings, remembering him as one of the men who had liked ‘visiting’ her in her prison.

After a few seconds, the old man collapsed on the floor, dead.

Facing the people again, she said, “If anyone else wants to defy me, you can see what the consequences of your choice will be. I’m Uther’s oldest child… this kingdom has always belonged to me … as the person with whom I will rule it”

“LET ME GO!!”

Arthur watched in anger as two soldiers dragged his husband in the room, firmly holding him between them, forcing him to stand in front of Morgana. The blond couldn’t help but notice that Merlin was wearing his most precious dress, blue and silver, and his official crown… he was a real king at the moment, despite his nine-months belly.

Morgana smiled gently at her love; a bit guilty about his distress. She started to caress his cheek, hypnotized by the soft skin.

Merlin moved his face away from her touch, “Morgana, please. This is wrong… we can find another way”

She took his chin in her hand and pulled him toward her. She whispered, looking at him in the eyes, “I know… but I don’t want another way… I only want what’s mine… you included”

Then, Morgana kissed him with all the passion and possessiveness she had. She could barely wait for them to be alone in their chambers later that night.

Arthur made a furious move, but Gwaine grabbed him, “The guards are immortal, they'll cut you to ribbons! What use are you dead? We need a plan… and a lot of ale”

Morgana ended the kiss and pointed to the soldiers to make Merlin sit on his throne, next to the empty one.

As soon as he sat and the guards let go of his arms, the young king tried to escaped, but with a gold flash of her eyes, the brunet girl tied his arms up to the throne chair with magic. Merlin couldn’t go anywhere now. He was exactly where she wanted him.

With the grace of a Lady, Morgana sat on Arthur’s throne, taking Merlin’s hand in hers.

Some guard shoved Geoffrey of Monmouth forward. He lifted the queen's crown above Morgana’s head.

“By the power vested in me, I crown thee Morgana Pendragon, Queen of Camelot”

She immediately liked the weight on her head and the warm hand in hers… everything was perfect.

She smirked and looked at the angel next to her… perfect.

 

Arthur was seeing red. How dared she take what was his?

‘ _This isn’t over, Morgana… you will pay for this_ ’

 

                                           


	24. Welcome to the world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the longest chapter I have ever written....  
> I apologize for my mistakes  
> hope you enjoy it
> 
> WARNINGS: dark morgana, non-con, male giving birth

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

             

 

 

After Morgana’s coronation, the whole court gathered in the Great Hall for a banquet. As it had happened during his wedding celebration, Merlin ate almost nothing, terrified by what had happened and what was going to happen. That’s why the young captive king was happy to feel unwell a few hours from the arrival of the dishes.

Seeing her beloved cold sweating, pale and not eating, Morgana ordered some guards to escort Merlin in their rooms, reminding them to make sure to lock the door. Given the willingness of the girl to remove the presence of her half-brother as much as possible from their lives, Morgana had decided to move Merlin in her rooms, which she made bigger, using magic ... making them rooms worthy of a Queen and her King.

Later, entering her chambers, the Queen saw the sleeping and exhausted figure under the covers of the king size bed. Gently she caressed the cheek of the brunet and whispered, "I wanted to spend a magical night together, my dear ... well, I do not see why we cannot do it tomorrow morning, after all ... Sweet dreams, my angel" She kissed him lightly and laid down beside him.

 

^^^^

 

The following day, Merlin awoke with a ray of sunshine illuminating his face ... for a moment he thought it had been all a dream and that soon Arthur would cuddle him and their child, as he usually did in the morning after waking up…

“Good morning.” A female voice said from the chair by the bed.

“Is it?” Merlin asked, resting his hands protectively around his round belly and sitting on the bed.

“Oh, don't be like that. I'm not your enemy ...”

“Then, why are you doing this?”

Morgana suddenly became very serious.

“Do you know how it feels like to always be the last choice of somebody? To see the world around you going ahead and no one stopping to check if you are there? I know how it feels ... after all, that had been my life until now. I have never known the love of a mother… the man that loved me more than anything else in the world was killed by his best friend, who later on turned out to be my real father. And what a _father_!

For ten years, he made me believe I was just a guest here, an orphan, alone in the world and that I should have been grateful to him for his great generosity in taking the time and money to take care of me. Uther had not even had the decency to tell me that I was his daughter ... I have never aspired to be recognized as his heir to the throne, but at least to be recognized as a person, as a princess, as a daughter, as a sister and not just as a doll to show around. But no ... why should he have done that when there was his dear Arthur? With no regrets, he took me away from my home and put me always second to Arthur. He had only confessed I was his flesh and blood to Gaius when I was almost dying after falling from the stairs… I told him I had heard him, so he had no choice but to confess.

Then, I met Morgause, my sweet sister, and I felt hope for the first time in a long time ... someone unconditionally loved me for the person I was and not for what I had to be or not to be. I was so happy when she proudly presented me to King Cenred. She was not ashamed of me ... I had not to be hidden as the mistake that Uther had always made me believe to be…  however, as usual my happiness could not last: Arthur killed my dear sister. Now I’m alone: Uther killed my father (even if indirectly) and Arthur my sister ... I think it's fair that I have taken what is theirs. Moreover, I could not allow my dear little brother to take away from me the man I love too... I had to save you from his darkness at least.”

Merlin was shocked… _what a mess of a family_! “Why me?”

Morgana’s eyes shone with love at that, “Because you're the person that brought me back to the light. You have seen me as a human being and not as... a whore.  You gave me a second chance. You've put me first, despite your duties as Arthur’s Consort. I felt immediately that there was a bond between us ... I also felt it with our child...”

“OUR child??” Merlin almost shouted. _This was not good_.

“Yes… do not worry, Merlin. I'll treat him as if he is really mine ... I love him already. He will be my heir and soon, the big brother of our other children, which I will carry… I hope our first born will be a girl”

Merlin shook his head as if to get rid of all this nonsense, “Morgana, I understand that you have suffered. But why did you come back to this place, where you've been treated so unfairly? Why didn’t you stay with the Druids? They would have made you happy ... you could have had a life with them!”

She chuckled and began to tell her story, from the moment she had run away from Camelot.

“I went to the Druids and started my magic training. At first, it was great… I felt more myself day after day. However, it wasn’t enough… I couldn’t feel whole. They taught me spells linked to nature, but every time I did one, I knew I could do more… my magic and my soul kept screaming that wasn’t the real me… it was frustrating.

One day, I felt the need to go toward south, as if something was calling me. I found myself at the seashores of Meredor and not too far from there, I saw an Island…  The Isle of the Blessed. I could feel it in all my body: I HAD TO go there. A ferryman took me there by a longboat and _oh Merlin_ I had never felt more at home… the air itself was filled with magic in its purest essence.

There, I met a woman. She was Nimueh, the last High Priestess of the Old Religion and apparently my ancestor.  She told me that centuries ago, many kings and wizards were afraid of her great powers; therefor they banished and imprisoned her on the Isle, hidden by powerful spells. They could go to her, but she could not get out.

Of course, I asked her how she had managed to survive for so long, always having the appearance of a young girl. And she answered that on the Isle of the Blessed time does not exist ... because of magic, everything there is likely to remain the same for eternity ... including people who spend their time there. Nimueh decided to be my mentor and for ten long years, she taught me everything she knew ... initiating me the priesthood.

During that time, I found out who I really am. She taught me how to manipulate life and death, how to shape the weak mind of men at my will. I felt that I was born for that. Morgana Pendragon died and Morgana Le Fay was born.

Although I loved being there, I knew I could not stay forever ... I had some unfinished business in the outside world. Besides, I missed you so much, my Merlin.

Every day I watched you through the source of water that Nimueh used to spy on the world beyond the mists of the Seas of Meredor. For you had only been months, for me had been years, without human warmth. Sometimes Nimueh sent me to bring men to her, with whom to share her bed and then to kill, scarifying them to the Goddess ... but I could not do it. I did not want to betray you ... I wanted you to be my only man. So to compensate, I must confess to have kidnapped young women, with whom to fuck when I missed you the most.

After giving me pleasure, I killed the weakest ones. On the other hand, I tortured the strongest-willed ones, who I could not break through hours and hours of uninterrupted pleasure, until they swore loyalty to me. One of them is Kara, my maidservant. _Oh Merlin_ , you should have seen how much she fought me ... torturing her had been a pleasure ... my whip had even broken because I had used it too much. In the end, since she had not given in, I had to use one of my favorite creatures of dark magic: the Fomorroh. In the days of the Old Religion, they were revered by the High Priestesses as they allowed them to control people's minds. The Fomorroh would suck the life force out of them. Everything that made them themselves was gone. And in its place there was just one thought. One thought that grew until it had consumed them completely. One thought that was their life's work. They were not able to rest until it was done. Obviously, Kara’s orders were and still are to serve me… I had sent her here to spy on Arthur. She was the one to tell me when to attack…

But let’s stop talking about these things. Last night, you had denied me, but now, I want to be one with you...” Morgana whispered, crawling toward him on the bed.

Merlin’s eyes widened, swallowing heavily. He did not want it... he had to find a way to distract her.

“Morgana, you have not finished your story yet... what happened with Nimueh? Is she still on the Isle of the Blessed?”

“Oh, Nimueh, right ... no, I no longer needed her. Actually, if I have to be honest, I was beginning to find her boring. So, the day I left the isle, I made her ingest poison, hemlock if I'm not mistaken, and I left her there to die..." She said nonchalantly, continuing to advance towards Merlin.

“No, please… Morgana, stop… I don’t want it”

She stopped, evidently annoyed by his protests. Stress was not good, neither for him nor for the child ... she had to get him to calm down and to do what she wanted.

She smiled with false kindness, taking his hands, "Merlin, come with me to the window for a moment ... I have to show you something"

Once there, Morgana pointed to the courtyard, “Do you see all those people over there? That woman collecting water from the well, those children playing with the ball, the elderly couple walking together..."

“Yes…” he said almost in a whisper, worried.

“Good. Now, do you see those guards on the walls surrounding the courtyard?”

“Yes…”

She smirked, "very well. According to you, how difficult would it be for me to order them to shoot arrows with the crossbow against these people?”

Merlin gasped, “You’d never dare do such a thing…”

Morgana gave him a look.

Merlin sighed and sat back down on the bed, stroking his belly.  The baby was kicking strongly, feeling the discomfort of his daddy.

“What do you want me to do Morgana?”

Smiling triumphantly, Morgan said, "I just want you not to reject me. Accept the inevitable ... you're mine now. As soon as my men will bring back Arthur’s corpse, we'll get married and live happily ever after… now, I want you naked and lying down on your back on the bed”

Merlin was forced to obey. As he undressed, he said, "I do not want to ruin your plans, but don’t think you will enjoy yourself too much with me. As you can see, I am slightly pregnant and, despite what you want, we cannot have sex in any way..."

It was true. Recently making love was very uncomfortable for Merlin, because of his enormous belly. The only positions that Arthur and he had found feasible were with Merlin on top, at all fours or on the side. However, with a woman it was impossible.

She giggled, "Oh Merlin. Do not worry ... in the last years, I have learned many tricks to be pleasure ... and to give it”

As soon as Merlin was naked, Morgana tied his hands to the headboard of the bed and began to strip in turn. Naked, Morgana was a very beautiful woman. However, the king continued to think about Arthur and about how he wanted him to be there.

Morgana began kissing Merlin with passion and desire, while stroking his stomach ... he wanted to make her stop, to protect his baby, but could not.

"You are so beautiful and sweet ... I dreamed to have you in my arms so much ... I cannot take it anymore ... I have to feel you in me"

Having said that, she crawled up to Merlin’s head. She put each leg to one side of his head ... she was facing his legs. Merlin could not believe what was going on ... above his eyes and very close to his mouth, he had Morgana’s sex, wet and eager for attention.

“Do you like it, darling? It’s all yours. If you don’t want me to hurt the people, do exactly want I say… I’m about to sit on your face and I want you to pleasure me… first by kissing my pussy, then by licking it back and forth with your tongue…”

Before Merlin had the time to protest, Morgana lowered herself on him. Merlin instinctively closed his mouth but Morgana did not give in. She pinched his nipples, making him scream in a muffle way.

“Don’t make it more difficult for you… OPEN.YOUR.MOUTH” she snapped.

She opened the lips of her cunt with two fingers, expectantly.

Hesitantly, Merlin obeyed. He started by kissing it and Morgana moaned. Then, he licked her, tasting her on his tongue. Morgana started to move her hips in circle… _it felt so good_. As he licked, she lowered her face to plant light kisses on his belly. The baby responded to her touch by kicking and Merlin moaned in discomfort.

“Don’t touch... my… baby” Merlin managed to say, panting.

She straightened herself back up, “Hush… calm down and keep moving. Now, I want you fuck me with your tongue… in and out. Come on, honey… penetrate me!”

Merlin reluctantly did and Morgan’s voice could be heard in the entire castle. “Yes, Merlin… oh my Goddess… yes like that… that’s it baby… I love you so much...”

After what seemed like hours, Morgana came and her fluids ended up in Merlin or on his chin.

Breathless, Morgana stood up and ordered Merlin to get at all four. "It’s time to return the favor ... I have noticed that you were not hard"

Merlin wanted to say no, but he knew that it would be useless. When he was in position, Morgana rimmed his ass and finger-fucked him, while giving him a Handjob.

Soon, they were both spent and lying on the bed. Morgana smiled happily, "you've been a good boy, dear ... very satisfying ... and as soon as you’ll give birth, I promise you that I will have you in me completely."

Merlin turned his head toward the window, as a tear came out of his eyes. He could only think about one thing, _'Arthur, where are you?_ ‘

 

^^^^

 

Less than a day away from Camelot, a small group of knights, an old physician and a king were hiding in a castle, which had belonged to the ancient kings of Camelot.

Said king was currently sitting in front of the fireplace, looking at the flames and thinking. Around him, his knights were trying to make the place as much comfortable as possible. Gwaine even managed to find weapons, “They must've been left by bandits”

“We need to save Merlin,” Lancelot said.

“How can we defeat an Immortal Army?” Elyan asked.

“I have no idea, my boys,” Gaius said, sad and worried for Merlin and Alice, who had remained to take care of the brunet in case he went into labor.

They turned toward their king, but nothing. He remained in the same position, thinking only God knows what.

 

^^^^

 

Two days later, in Camelot, Queen Morgana and King Merlin walked arm in arm to the Council Room.

"I want to show you something, Merlin" Morgana beamed at her love.

He smiled falsely, knowing that she would kill the people if he did not behave like the husband she wanted him to be. “What, Morgana?"

“You’ll see… “

The guards opened the door and Merlin gasped. In the middle of the room, on a pedestal, there was the Cup of Life, surrounded by armed and immortal guards.

“It’s beautiful…” Merlin whispered, feeling its power.

“I know… it’s amazing”

“How did you know of its existence? And how did you make these men immortal?”

“Well… Nimueh told me about the Cup. She was its guardian centuries ago. When she was imprisoned on the Isle, the druids took the Cup and hide it since then. When I left the Isle, I looked for it and found it with a druid’s camp not so far from Camelot. During my travels to find the cup, I met many mercenaries and banished knights and I convinced them to join me against Arthur ... promising them immortality. You know, some of them are former knights of Draken, who were gathering to attack Camelot and save you... I have fulfilled their wish…”

Merlin was moved by that… his old men wanted to save him. He looked around at the guards, but he didn’t recognized none of his knights... so he continued his questions.

“What ritual had you to do to make them immortal?"

“It was very easy to tell you the truth ... I had to put a drop of every man’s blood in the cup and say a spell of supplication to the Goddess ... "

“Is it permanent?”

“Unfortunately, the spell can be destroyed with even more ease. The Cup of Life has to be emptied of the blood it contained. Once that has happened, the enchantment will no longer hold and the sorcerer will be weakened”

Merlin nodded thoughtfully.

"Do not worry, Merlin. Nobody will be able to get to the Cup, especially Arthur. He has but a handful of men. We have an immortal army at our disposal” she smirked evilly, kissing him passionately.

 

….

 

Meanwhile, Gwen was freeing Leon from the dungeons, using the key that Merlin had given her the day before and that she had duplicated in the workshop of her father.

She said to Leon to escape without her and to tell Lancelot that she was sorry, but she could not leave Hunith and Merlin alone.

When the knight fled, Gwen went back to her chores, not knowing that Kara had spied on her and that she would immediately warn her mistress.

 

In fact, a few hours later, Gwen was walking in the deserted corridors, when Morgana blocked her way.

"Your Highness," the servant bowed.

"Good evening, Guinevere. I thought we could play a little game," Morgana said, giggling sadistically.

Gwen was confused, "What’s happening, my lady?"

"Oh, do not fake to be a young innocent girl with me ... I KNOW what you did. How is Sir Leon?"

Gwen's eyes widened and she tried to run away.

"I do not think so, my dear ... Guards!! Escort our sweet traitor in the west tower ... there’s a surprise that awaits her" she turned to Kara, “take her chores for a while… she won’t be around for a couple of days”

 

^^^^

 

The following day, Merlin was in his room alone. Morgana was in a council meeting, which was discussing Leon’s escape and Arthur’s possible location.

Now, Merlin had to decide what to do: to inform Arthur about how to destroy the Cup of Life and Morgana or to ally with her and take revenge on Arthur for what he had done to his father.

The choice ended up not being that difficult. Balinor had taught him to behave honorably and allying with the sister of his husband to kill him, carrying his child at the same time, was cowardly ... his father would never approve. Moreover, Merlin could not do something so despicable to the inhabitants of Camelot ... he had noticed how Morgana watched the people: as objects to crush under her power and to punish for the wrongs that she had suffered. On the other hand, Arthur watched them with infinite love, eager to protect them, as a king should do.

Convinced of his decision, Merlin checked to have locked the door. Then, he walked to the bowl of water beside the bed. He took a deep breath before beginning the spell ... he knew that it was dangerous for the child, but he had to take the risk ... in the last few days he had rested for this purpose.

 

^^^^

 

In the fortress where he was taking refuge, Arthur was drinking a glass of wine alone. The others had gone hunting and Gaius was resting.

Suddenly, he heard a voice, ' _Arthur_ ...'

The King jumped in fright and made the glass fall. The wine ended up on the floor and created a small puddle.

All of sudden, in the wine appeared Merlin’s face, ' _Arthur_ ...'

"Merlin?" The blond asked, believing he was dreaming.

The brunet smiled and nodded, “ _yes, it’s me… I don’t have much time… to defeat the Immortal Army you have to empty the Cup of Life of the blood it contains. It will killed the men and weaken Morgana. However, be careful… the Cup is well guarded in the Council Room… you can attack tomorrow in the afternoon, when your sister is with the Council, the knights are in the fields to train and at three there is the change of the Guards of the Cup. Moreover, Leon has escaped… he should be on his way to you_ …”

Arthur smiled sweetly at his love, “thank you, my love… now I know what to do. I will save you… I promise… how are feeling?”

“ _I know you will, Arthur. You are an obsessive prat and you will never leave me here with your mad sister… I’m fine and so is the baby… but I have to go now. All this magic is weakening me too much_ …”

Arthur nodded, “Go and rest… leave the rest to me… I love you”

Merlin smiled, embarrassed, and disappeared.

Arthur had a new light in his eyes… determination and love.

When the men came back, bringing with them Leon, who they had found wandering in the woods, they started to plan, sitting on the Round Table.

They would entered in the castle through the catacombs that leaded in the Crown Prince Chambers; Gwaine, Percival, Elyan and Leon would create distractions around the castle, immobilizing the guards if possible; in the meantime, Arthur and Lancelot would reach the Cup and empty it.

 

^^^^

 

The next day, everything was ready and Arthur and his men entered the castle without problems, also helped by the servants, happy to help their true king. The knights separated to do each their tasks.

A few minutes later, Merlin, who was chained to the bed as usual, heard the alarm bell.

He knew why and was concerned ... he absolutely had to go to help Arthur.

He tried to open the chain around his ankle but it was useless. It was about to use magic, and _damn the consequences_ , when his manservant entered the room.

"Daegal, thanks God ... come here and free me!"

 

….

 

In the Council Room, Arthur was about to hit the Cup with his sword, when Morgana appeared and threw him against the wall with magic. Once she was inside, Lancelot, who was injured, locked the door, leaving only the three of them in the room.

“You are a fool, dear brother. Did you really think you could defeat me? I’m more powerful than you can ever image…”

Arthur got up from the floor, “you are the fool… this is MY kingdom and Merlin is MY husband!!”

Morgana’s face darkened, “No… they are mine. I will not allow you to take them away from me too, as you and your father did with anyone else I had loved”

“Oh, poor little girl… so misunderstood. Well, life is unfair, Morgana ... deal with it and stop acting like a spoiled little girl to who they have stolen her toys... "

She snarled at him and sent him against the wall again.

He laughed darkly, “You can do just this? I bet you would be NOTHING without magic!! So pathetic ..."

Morgana was shaking with anger, “let’s see about that… let’s finish this once and for all ... we fight with swords, without magic and see who the best between us is"

They started to fight like dragons, sending insults to one other.

As expected, Arthur was winning and Morgana used magic to make him lose his sword and block him on the floor.

"You’re just a traitor, Morgana!! You have no sense of duty, no sense of loyalty," he snapped.

She chuckled, “Uther taught me well… Good Bye, dear brother”

 

Merlin entered in the Council Room, using the servants’ passages, and what he saw shocked him.

Arthur was on the floor, unarmed, and Morgana was above him with her sword raised, ready to kill him.

‘ _No_ ’ he thought. He saw Arthur’s sword, abandon on the other side of the room. Merlin looked down at his belly, “come on, little one… one more time… for your papa”

He looked at the sword and summoned it to him with magic. Once it was in his hands, he used it to knock the Cup off the pedestal… blood spilled on the pillars.

Morgana stiffed and fell on her knees. She saw the Cup on the floor and Merlin next to it, “NOOOO!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

Arthur put himself between his husband and his sister, “It's over, Morgana”

Her eyes were full of hate when she said, “No, you're wrong. This has just begun!”

She looked at Merlin with barely contained tears and extended her hand toward him, “Come…” she whispered.

He shook his head to say no, looking apologizing.

Arthur was about to run her through, when she disappeared in a windy cloud of smoke, looking at Merlin one last time… her eyes full of promises of return.

“NO! DAMIT!” Arthur screamed. He turned when he heard a gasp from his husband.

Merlin was on the floor, touching his belly… a strange liquid around his leg.

“Merlin, what’s wrong?” the blond asked, embracing him.

“I think it’s time, Arthur… aaahhhhhaaa” Merlin screamed from the pain.

Arthur was terrified and pale, "ok ... ok. Hold on ... Lancelot, please, go to look for Alice or Gaius ... tell them that Merlin is in labor and to meet us in my rooms"

The knight obeyed and Arthur lifted Merlin, taking him to their chambers.

 

^^^^

 

In the rooms of the king, there was a pandemonium, when Gwen arrived.

Outside, the knights waited for news; servants kept coming out and back in with water and more clean rags; you could hear Gaius telling the Consort to push and to breathe and Merlin screaming all the time.

She entered and was met by Merlin’s tired, sweaty but relieved face at seeing his friend.

“Gw..Gwen… where…have…you…been?” He panted, so tired.

“Sorry, Merlin…Morgana had sent me to collect some new clothes for her in the next village… it took me a couple of days. But now, I’m here… come on, Merl... push!” She said, wiping his face with cold water.

“She is right, love…“ Arthur said. He was at his husband’s side, holding his hand and comforting him with endearments.

“Easy for you to say… this hurts so damned much!! I swear, Pendragon, if you touch me again, I will kill you… hhhhaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!” He screamed and pushed.

“You are doing so well, Merlin… I love you” Arthur kissed his hand.

“One last push, my boy, and you’ll have your baby,” Gaius said from between his legs, where you could see a little head.

Merlin screamed and pushed with everything he had, until a strong and clear cry could be heard. The brunet collapsed in Arthur’s waiting arms.

“Congratulation, it’s a boy!” Alice said from where she was washing the baby.

The new parents beamed.

“You did it, Merlin… we have a baby! You are perfect and amazing”

Merlin was still panting, but also smiling, “I want to see him…”

“Here he is” Alice gave the new prince to Merlin, who laid him in his arms.

“Oh my God… look at him Arthur… Hi, little one”

Arthur’s eyes were wet from happiness at seeing his son.

The baby was perfect: he was the exact copy of Merlin. He had pale skin, a tuft of black hair and shocking blue eyes.

“He’s perfect, isn’t it?” the blond asked.

Merlin looked at his son and his heart could explode from too much love. He couldn’t believe something so beautiful could exist… in that moment, Merlin couldn’t help but think about how his and Freya’s child could have looked like… surprising, he couldn’t image it, because he knew nothing and no one could compare with his angel.

Then, Merlin understood… maybe Arthur was right… they were destined to be together. How could they have been able to create this piece of perfection if they weren’t meant to be? Maybe, Merlin was wrong to fight it and had always been blind… after all, Arthur was stubborn, but also kind, protective, he has fought an Immortal Army for him and during the pregnancy he has been amazing… perhaps, Arthur was the right one for him… the proof of that was in front of him in his arms. Besides, no matter what happened, they have always found each other in a way or another… like destiny.

Merlin was shocked by this revelation, but strangely pleased. “Yes…. He is perfect”

Arthur beamed and kissed him on the lips, “How do you want to name him?”

“I can be the one choosing the name?”

“Of course, you can… you deserve it. Moreover, it can be my thank you for giving me a son and… a family” Arthur confessed, embarrassed.

Merlin looked down at his son, “I want to call him…. Mordred William Pendragon”

Arthur nodded, approving. He leaned to caress his son’s cheek, who looked at him for the first time with his icy eyes… Arthur smiled at him, “Welcome to the world Mordred…”


	25. Papa and Daddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for updating this late... from now on, it'll take me longer to update since I'm preparing my university tests...
> 
> this chapter is a bit vanilla. i have written it to describe merlin and arthur as parents and a few details, useful for future chapters.  
> from next chapter, there will be more action.  
> N.B.: arthur= papa; merlin=daddy
> 
> WARNING: no graphic torture, no graphic rape, male breastfeeding, minor character death

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

               

 

 

The day after the birth, Merlin was lying in bed, still tired and sore from the effort made. Arthur was with the Council to be reported about the situation after Morgana’s brief but disastrous reign and to announce the birth of the future king of Camelot.

Currently, the so-called future king was sleeping in his daddy’s arms with a pure peaceful expression on his little face, after drinking Merlin’s milk...

Merlin had never seen anything so perfect. He would have never thought he could love someone so intensely ... he smiled down at his child.

"I love you so much, Mordred. I will take very good care of you, my love... Come what may, my love for you is bigger than the sky, deeper than the sea, stronger than the trees of the forest and eternal like magic…”

 

Suddenly, the doors of the royal rooms opened wide and five women marched inside. Two of them were in their twenties, while the other three were clearly older, probably in their fifties.

They approached the bed and the oldest one took Mordred from Merlin’s arms. Then, they headed toward the open back door of the bedroom, leading to the Queen old rooms, now turned into a nursery.

After a moment of shock, Merlin realized the situation. He jumped out of the bed, ignoring to pain in his lower abdomen, and closed the door of the nursery, using magic, blocking the women's path.

“Who the hell are you and what do you want with my son? If you do not give him back to me immediately, I swear to you that the tortures of the damned will be nothing compared to what I will do to all of you!!!" Merlin yelled. His eyes shone with magic and rage, while he kept watching his child and the soon-to be- ashes women.

The oldest passed the now crying infant to her colleague and turned, bowing, toward the furious king. "Your Majesty, we did not want to bother you. We regret not being able to come sooner and that you had to endure the presence of the prince for so long ... one of Your importance should not be in contact with an infant for so long. Do not worry, My Lord… now we are here... The best nannies and wet-nurses in the Kingdom. Leave Prince Mordred to us"

Merlin was shocked… “WHAT????” he shouted with all his strength.

In that moment, the door of the chambers opened again. This time, King Arthur himself came in, warned about the turmoil in his rooms by the guards outside the door.

"What's going on here? Who dares disturb my Consort?" Arthur asked, authoritarian, only as a real Pendragon could do.

“Arthur! These women have dared enter our rooms and take Mordred away from me!! Why?" Merlin asked, taking Mordred back in his arms with magic. As soon as the child felt his daddy’s close presence, he calmed down immediately.

Arthur frowned, confused, "THIS is the problem? Merlin, they are Mordred's nannies and wet nurses. it's their job to feed and raise the children of Camelot nobility... what's the problem?"

The brunet was astonished. "I hope you're kidding me ... WE are his parents!"

“Love, we have already done our duty... we have created and brought him into the world. Now it's up to others to raise him, while you and I rule our kingdom. We royals cannot waste time between hysterical tears, baby food and everything else. Don’t tell me you want to BREASTFEED him yourself!! It is not appropriate. It is tradition among the royals and nobles for parents to see their children every now and then when they are infants… once a day when they are older. The fathers take care of the male children only when they are ready to start training with the sword or to become kings. But even then, they are considered knights and princes; not sons ... the mothers do the same with their daughters.”

“Who told you this nonsense?" Merlin asked, clutching Mordred closer to him, as if he was afraid that one of the crazy women would take him away again ... not that he would let them do it!

"I told you ... it’s tradition. My father also taught me as a child that being king is more important than being a father ... and that others can raise a baby, but only one person can rule"

Merlin took a deep breath. He turned towards the women and, in a voice that did not accept rejection, said, "I'm sorry ladies, but your services are no longer required ... never again! Now, I want to talk in private with my husband ... OUT!"

When they were alone, Merlin spoke again, "Arthur, my opinions on how being parents are very different from yours. In other circumstances, I would have tried to find a compromise between our two traditions, but when you said that it was _UTHER_ the one teaching you how to be a father, I changed my mind ... from now on, I'll decide how to raise our son and the first rule is that WE will raise him, NOT some strangers!! Prepared yourself, Pendragon! In the coming months, you will sleep little, sing lullabies not stop, have baby vomit on your expensive clothes and your pretty face will be filled with dark circles under your eyes..."

He was about to lie down on the bed again, when Arthur recovered from the shock, "Wha ... what do you mean that Uther made you change your mind? And are you kidding me? I'm a king, not a nanny!!! Nor are you!!”

“Let’s be honest, Arthur ... Uther is the last person I would take as an example of how to be a good parent. He had been so good that everyone hated him and his own DAUGHTER killed him. By the way, I'm not kidding ... from now on you will have to divide your time between your duties as king and your duties as a father ... I will not have another Uther Pendragon as my son's father and as a husband. Furthermore, before being a good king, you have to be a good person. Show your people your good heart and you will receive respect and love from them ... show coldness and hatred and ... well ... we know how that turned out with your father. It’s the same with Mordred. I think you have to choose what kind of father you want to be: like Uther or a good one. You already know how your relationship with Mordred will be if you go through Uther’s path.”

That said, Merlin started to fall asleep on the bed with Mordred by his side. Arthur left them with many things to think about.

 

Later, in the evening, when he came back to his chambers, Arthur found his husband still lying in bed, eating grapes, while Mordred was sleeping in his cradle.

Disturbed by the sound of the door, the child began to cry. Normally, the child should have been in another room and now there would have been paid women calming him down.

Arthur looked at Merlin ... his husband was looking at him in return.

After a minute without anyone moving and Mordred still crying, Merlin rolled his eyes, resigned and ready to get up and go to the child, when Arthur picked up his son for the first time and began to rock him, singing an ancient Celtic lullaby.

He looked at Merlin, lifting an eyebrow, as if to say, " _This is my choice, problems?"_

The brunet beamed at him, proud.

Arthur looked down, blushing, obviously embarrassed. Therefore, he tried to take away the attention from himself.

“Are you really going to raise him without help?"

“I have help: I have you… my mother, our friends, who believe themselves to be the funny uncles (especially Gwaine)… but I’m going to ask their assistance only if extremely necessary… I’ll never put Mordred in danger. I just want him to stay in the family.”

Arthur nodded, “You are right, my love. What are you going to do when you will be engaged in you king duties?”

Merlin shrugged, “I'll just take him with me! So I can breastfeed him whenever he needs it"

The blonde's eyes widened, "You mean that you are going to bring him with you and to feed him during the Council meetings too?? Are you mad?"

Merlin smiled cheekily at him, "Watch me ..."

 

^^^^

 

True to his words, a week later, Merlin entered the Council Room for his first meeting after the birth, carrying a basket with little Mordred inside, sleeping. When he sat at the head of the table next to Arthur and placed the basket on the table, all the advisors looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

As expected, many council members were indignant and one of the oldest councilors dared to express his opinion against the king that he had never liked.

“My lord, why is prince Mordred here? Shouldn’t his nannies be taking care of him?"

Merlin looked straight at Lord Harold in the eyes, "No, the prince is exactly where he should be: with his parents. If we are here, why should he be somewhere else? Besides, why should I justify myself to you?"

The Lord breathed deeply, offended, "I am a faithful and important member of Camelot court, and I do not accept a baby being in my presence ... I have never even liked the presence of my own children!"

This time, it was Arthur to intervene. "I now understand why your son is the laugh of the knights and your daughter had five children from five different men out of wedlock ..."

Lord Harold was fuming, but remained silent, humiliated.

Arthur nodded, moving Mordred’s basket, so that it was positioned between him and Merlin, in a clear sign of how things would be from that point on. "Well ... now we can start the meeting"

 

One hour from the start of the council, Mordred began to cry in hunger. The men thought that by then the kings would call for a wet nurse, but once again, they were shocked…

King Merlin took the child in his arms and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his right breast. Under the eyes of the speechless men and a mesmerized Arthur, he began to feed his baby, sighing sweetly at the sensation he felt when Mordred sucked his breasts.

That was too much; Lord Harold jumped up from his chair and pointed his finger at Merlin and Mordred. "This is INAPPROPRIATE and INDECENT ... I expect king Merlin and Prince Mordred to be removed from the room!!”

Arthur’s face darkened and with a voice falsely quiet said, "That’s enough!! Insulting my family will not improve your already compromised position ... oh yeah, I know that during the reign of my sister you have been the first to bow to her feet and not to resist ... but since I'm a magnanimous King, I'll help you. Since you cannot stand the sight of my husband feeding our son and your future king, I will make sure that you are no longer forced to look at them. GUARDS!!!  ... Take Lord Harold in the dungeons and scratch the eyes out of him ...”

Arthur looked toward his husband, expecting words of protest for his cruel decision; but instead, Merlin was impassive, as he cradled Mordred. Apparently, when Mordred was concerned, Merlin was ready to forget his gentle nature.

 

^^^^

 

From that day on and in the following two years, the people of Camelot became accustomed to always see Prince Mordred with his parents. Merlin took him with him during his hiking in the forest to study the new herbs and animals that the increasingly magic was creating. On the other hand, Arthur took him with him to the knights training, leaving him to play on the grass under his watchful eyes. During breaks, he and the knights enjoyed making him laugh.

Arthur noticed that the child was always more restless when he was with him and that he much preferred being with Merlin. In more than one occasion, the blond was sure that he had seen a dark light in Mordred’s eyes when he looked at his papa. But since Merlin had told him that he was paranoid, Arthur decided not to think too much about it ... probably, Mordred simply preferred his daddy, because he had spent nine months in his belly and there was a magical bond between them.

 

^^^^

 

During these two years of almost peace, a few important things happened in Camelot.

Lancelot and Gwen got married at last and for a day, everyone forgot about the slightly more closed attitude that the girl had showed since the end of the Morgana’s reign.

.

A year and a half after Mordred’s birth, during a picnic in the forest that Merlin and Arthur had organized to be alone for once, they were attacked by mercenaries and were accidentally separated. The bandits, working for Morgana, captured Merlin. The brunet found himself in the girl’s hut, chained to her bed. The chains were made to block magic.

This time, Merlin could not avoid Morgana's attentions and for three days, the witch raped him, riding him almost continuously. In those moments, Morgana confessed that she had drunk a potion to increase her fertility and ability to conceive. Fortunately, Merlin was a Dragonlord and his very nature prevented him from creating a new life with someone who was not his mate, chosen by his magic, in a few words: Arthur. After three days, Merlin found the spell to destroy the chains and escaped.

For a week, the two kings staid in their rooms, making love ... Merlin needed to feel safe again in Arthur’s arms, feeling his again.

None of them had noticed Merlin’s eyes turning gold after one of their many orgasms. However, two things were clear: there was a traitor in Camelot, since few people knew where the kings were going to have their picnic, and Morgana was back.

.

Unfortunately, a month after that, Hunith died in her sleep. She had never recovered completely from the death of her beloved Balinor, but at least, she had been able to spend two happy years together with her son and her grandson, who she had spoiled as much as possible.

Merlin suffered greatly for the loss of his mother, but Arthur and Mordred did not leave him alone and for that, he was grateful.

Arthur was worried that Merlin would rise against him now that Hunith was gone ... but quickly, he abandoned the idea. Merlin had accepted him and Arthur still had the knights of Draken to use against his husband, despite the fact that the men had become some of his best friends, and above all, he had Mordred, the best hostage of all.

 

............

 

The kings did not have much time to mourn Queen Hunith, since they knew that Morgana was near and that she would attack.

What they did not know was that it was about to happen much sooner than expected.


	26. It's time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: I made a mistake in the previous chapter. I wrote that Mordred was half year old when merlin was captured by morgana. actually, I wanted to write that he was a year and a half .... so mordred is 2 years old in this chapter!  
> WARNING: at the beginning of this chapter, I will speak about the traitor, but since I do not want to reveal his/her identity until the last second, I refer to the traitor using "It" (in italics with a capital letter) ... if you have already figured out who morgana's spy may be, good for you :-)
> 
> quotes from chapters 4x12 and 5x09

 

      

 

 

It was night in Camelot, when a hooded figure walked stealthy and fast from the dungeons toward the exit of the castle, after stealing from the Maps Room.

The thief was running the last corridor leading outside, when a guard saw _It_.

“You there! Show yourself”

Annoyed, _It_ turned to look at him.

The guard was surprised to see who it was, "YOU?!?"

He did not have time to do anything before a dagger stabbed him in the heart.

In the blink of an eye, the guard fell to the ground, dead. The traitor hid the corpse in the darkness of the dungeons, where no one would ever find him, and continued _Its_ journey.

 

In the woods, the traitor met _Its_ mistress, Morgana, who was not the well-dressed Queen she used to be. Now, she dressed completely in black, like her soul, and her hair was unkempt.

“You're late.” The Witch said.

“I'm sorry.”

“Was there a problem?”

“Nothing I could not handle.”

“Did you get what I asked for?”

The spy handed Morgana a scroll. “Here is the plans to the siege tunnels of Camelot…”

Morgana smirked, “You did well… tomorrow night Helios and the Southrons will attack, while my dear brother and all Camelot will be distracted by the Feast of Beltane!”

The traitor smiled “Yes, my Lady… and Camelot will finally have its rightful Queen”

“It will! Remember what you have to do tomorrow ... you need to open the entrance of the siege tunnels and to take care of my Merlin and my little Mordred... I want them ready for when I have conquered Camelot again"

“Consider it done, Your Highness," The spy said, bowing and returning to the castle.

 

^^^^

 

In the rooms of the kings, the next night, King Arthur and King Merlin were preparing themselves to go to the feast.

“What’s taking so long?” Arthur asked from behind the screen.

“Do not panic, Arthur... George will come in a moment with your belt ... I do not understand why you sent him in your old rooms to take an old belt of yours... what was wrong with the one he brought you?" Merlin asked his husband, as he finished tying his boots, making strange faces at Mordred, sitting on the table and laughing merrily.

Arthur stepped out from behind the screen, “I saw him, Merlin. He was putting another hole in that belt… outrageous! I’m going to prove to him that I'm fighting fit and that I can still wear my old belts… I do not need new holes"

Merlin didn’t look at him in the eyes, “He was only, er...enhancing it for comfort and ease of use”

“Are you saying I’m fat?”

Merlin was saved from answering by George entering with the new belt. He gave it to Arthur and left the room to go and serve in the Great Hall, leaving them alone again.

Arthur tried to put the belt on over his chainmail. He cringed as he tried to squeeze it tight.

“Come on”

Merlin shook his head, amused. "Yes, Arthur ... you really are _fighting fit_ ," He said sarcastically, petting the blond's belly.

Arthur gave up on the belt and handed it to Merlin. “Right, Merlin, do what you have to do. Not a word of this to anyone, understand?”

The brunet nodded, smiling. He started to enlarge it with his magic.

Mordred laughed at his parents’ interaction from his sit on the table. He leaned forward and petted his papa’s belly with his little hand too. “Fatty p-papa”

Merlin burst into laughter, doubling over.

Arthur looked at his son with a shocked face, "Mordred, you traitor!!"

The king dived forward and put his two-year-old son on his shoulder. The child screamed because of the fun. Arthur threw him on the king size bed, following him a moment later.

The two of them began a tickling battle, laughing and joking like two children.

Merlin looked at them fondly. He could have watched them like this forever, but they had a feast to attend and Arthur was setting wrinkles on his clothes.

“Boys… please stop playing. Arthur, get ready.... Mordred, go and pee before going to bed."

Father and son stopped and looked at the brunet with identical puppy faces.

“Sorry, love” Arthur said.

“Sowry, daddy” Mordred followed, before doing what his daddy had told him.

When Arthur’s was ready, Merlin told him, “Go ahead without me."

"Are you sure, darling?"

"Yes. We are already late. At least one of us should have already been in the Great Hall with the guests. I'll stay here a little longer to wait for Daegal to return from the kitchen with Mordred’s warm milk, before putting him to bed… I'll join you in a few minutes"

Arthur nodded and kissed his son on the forehead, before leaving. As soon as he was out, Merlin noticed that Mordred wiped with one hand the spot where his father had kissed him.

His child was like that: a moment, he was happy with Arthur; a moment later, he wanted nothing to do with him.

 

**…**

 

While they were waiting for Daegal’s arrival, Mordred fell asleep on the bed of his parents, so Merlin was about to head for the door to go to the feast, but there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it was his manservant, Merlin gave permission to come in. It was not Daegal. Nevertheless, it was someone very dear to the king.

The brunet beamed, “Hi… what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the banquet? We can go together if you wish… Mordred has just fallen asleep”

The person shook _Its_ head negatively, as _It_ watched Merlin approaching the bed to cover the young prince with a blanket. "No, Merlin, I have something else to do ... I cannot waste time with that stupid feast ... and neither can you"

Merlin frowned and turned to face his interlocutor. "What are you ..." He could not finish the question, because the other one laid a handkerchief full of soporific potion on his face and the king fell into a deep sleep.

The traitor laid the brunet on the bed, next to his son, caressing his cheek. "Do not worry ... nothing bad will happen to you. My mistress only wants that her treasures are safe. Soon, she will come for you ..."

After making sure that the child was also asleep by putting the handkerchief on his face too, Morgana's spy left the room to go to open the siege tunnels and to join the Witch and her army.

_It_ did not notice a young servant arriving from the end of the hallway, who saw everything.

 

….

 

Some minutes later, the Southrons killed the sentries at the gate, after entering in the lower town using the tunnel. The traitor dropped a torch on the ground, starting a fire.

Morgana watched from the hills around the city, smirking evilly. The warlord Helios at her side.

“It's time”

 

^^^^

 

In the Great Hall, Arthur stood in confusion as the warning bells sounded.

Gwaine entered, panting. “Sire! We're under attack! They're within the city walls!”

Arthur was immediately in Leader Mode, “Leon, lead the people to the woods! Take with you as much citizens as possible. Gwaine, come with me… we need to find Merlin and take him and Mordred out of here!”

They ran down the corridors, fighting Southrons everywhere. At some point, they met Lancelot, Percival and Elyan, who joined them toward the King’s Chambers. To reach them, they had to go through the courtyard.

They stopped against a column, after hearing many footsteps. Arthur peeked around the corner and saw Helios and Morgana leading the Southron army.

His and everyone’s expressions, especially Lancelot’s, changed to shock when they saw Gwen with them. However, she was not the usual Gwen, full of life. Now, she was expressionless, with a hint of malice in her eyes. She was dressed all in black, like Morgana.

Arthur grabbed Lancelot to stop him from launching out to face his wife.

“There are too many of them. We can deal with her later. All right?” the king whispered.

Then, Arthur remembered something and his heart fell. “Oh my God...”

The other knights turned to him, “What?”

“Merlin… wh-when I left our chambers, I saw Guinevere heading there. She said she had to say something important to Merlin ... oh no, what has she done to him?”

Before he could do anything, he heard footsteps behind him. Thinking it was the enemy, Arthur drew his sword and turned, shocked by what he saw.

In front of him there was Daegal, his husband’s servant, become a young man in the recent years. However, the most shocking thing was the fact that the boy was carrying an unconscious Merlin on one shoulder and on the other one Mordred, equally asleep…

“Daegal?!? What… what happened?” Arthur asked him, as he took his husband in his arms, checking him for eventual injuries, finding none. In the meantime, Gwaine did the same with the prince, his godson.

"My lord, Lady Guinevere did this!"

“We know…” Arthur interrupted him, noticing Lancelot and Elyan’s sad expressions.

“In the last years, I and the other servants have noticed something strange about her ... in front of you, she was the usual Gwen, but when you did not watched, her face changed, becoming darker. However, since she was your friend and Sir Lancelot’s wife and the Sir Elyan’s sister, I could not say anything. When just now l have seen her leaving the royal rooms, satisfied, I quickly realized that there was something wrong ... in fact, I found the King and the Prince on the bed in a deep sleep, and when I heard the alarm I took them away to safety"

“You did well, Daegal! I’ll never forget this…”

“It was a pleasure, Sire. Merlin is not only my master… he is my friend!”

Arthur nodded, “Ok. I need to go back inside to understand what is happening and how many wounded persons there are ... Daegal, Lancelot and Elyan, you’ll take Merlin and Mordred and flee into the forest toward the old ruins ... if we have not reached you within an hour, go away from there and take my family to a safe place... No matter what happens, they are your priority”

The two knights began to protest, "But Sire, Gwen ..."

"Exactly!! You two are too involved ... your feelings for Gwen will make you vulnerable ... let me handle this!"

Both agreed, hesitantly. Lancelot added, "Please, Arthur, if you find Gwen, do not hurt her ... I know her, she would never betray us so ... Morgana must have done something to her..."

"Okay ... I will not kill her! Now go!"

Lancelot took Merlin, while Elyan lifted Mordred and with Daegal, they ran into the forest.

 

^^^^

 

In the Throne Room, Helios approached Morgana, who lounged on the throne with Gwen on her knees next to it, like a dog.

“The city has fallen. Camelot is ours”

Morgana was unimpressed, “And?”

He did not know what to say. She rose from the throne.

“Taking Camelot was the easy part, Helios. I want Arthur imprisoned and Merlin in my bed. Have you checked that my future husband and my son are in the bedroom, waiting for me?"

Helios looked down, "I did it, but the room was empty!"

"WHAT?!?" Morgana yelled. Then, she turned to Gwen with an expression that could kill. "Where are they?? Have you done as I have ordered you, _insect_?"

The girl trembled in front of her mistress’s wrath. "I-I do not understand ... I made Merlin fall asleep with the powerful sleeping potion you gave me ... The last time I saw him, he was fast asleep on the bed ... I swear, my lady," She said, almost in tears.

Morgana churched, cold, "have you checked that no one has seen you? Did you lock the door?"

Now, Gwen was crying, "N-no ... I'm sorry ... I ..."

"SILENCE!! You’ve already done enough damage. Later you will be punished" Then, the witch turned to Helios, "Almost certainly Arthur has found and taken him to safety ... my brother has a nasty habit in taking what’s mine ... we have to find him and force him to tell us where he has hidden my Merlin. Where is Arthur?"

“He's right here, my lady. In the palace. He's nowhere left to run”

Morgana smiled. Helios and she stalked out of the room.

 

^^^^

 

Arthur was in the Council Room, turned infirmary. Gaius and Alice were healing the injured, while the king was asking the wounded but conscious knights to tell him what had happened in the different parts of the castle under attack ... nothing good. Gwaine and Percival barred the doors.

“How long before they reach us?” Gaius asked, worried.

“Minutes at best” Percival told him.

“If they find Arthur, they'll kill him,” the old man said.

“We must get him to safety while we still can”

“Arthur would never abandon his people. He'd rather die” Gwaine told them.

Gaius sighed, “We need to get Arthur out of here whether he likes it or not. I don't have anything strong enough to knock him out… Maybe you can do something. Arthur won't go willingly. What if he was to lose his will?”

The two young men widened their eyes, “How??”

“Well, you could hit him on the head…”

Percival, gentle as he was, said, “He is my king ... I could never do this to him!! "

Nobody saw Gwaine rushing to the king, raising his arm and hitting Arthur’s head with the pommel of his sword. "I'm sorry, mate ... well, I am not so sorry actually"

"Gwaine, what have you done?" Gaius shouted.

"I had to ... do not worry ... he's still conscious, just very shaken and confused .... Let’s go!"

"Alice and I have talked about it ... we cannot abandon our patients ... Furthermore, we would slow you down... Go"

"Merlin will kill me if I leave you here alone, Gaius. I'll stay with you! Besides, I'll keep them off Percival and Arthur’s back as long as I can" Gwaine said.

“Gwaine…” Percival began.

“No, Percival... Go! Look after our king!”

Percival slung Arthur's arm around his neck. Then, he grasped Gwaine's outstretched arm and exited with Arthur.

Morgana burst in.

“It seems your victory is short-lived, Morgana” Gaius informed her.

Morgana scowled.

 

^^^^

 

Percival supported Arthur through the woods, avoiding as much enemy soldiers as possible.

By the time they arrived at the ruins, Arthur was almost completely lucid. Percival noticed that Merlin was awake too and was talking to Lancelot, but Elyan was not there.

As soon as Arthur saw Merlin, he rushed to him and hugged him, kissing him gently. "Thanks God, you're unharmed .... I couldn’t have borne to lose you"

Merlin hugged him back, "Calm down ... Mordred and I are fine .... Lancelot told me what happened"

Now that the adrenaline had diminished and that he knew that his family was all right, Arthur lost all his energy, crushed by the weight of what had just happened. He had just lost his kingdom again; his sister wanted him dead again; his People were dispersed somewhere; his knights were dead or had fled and for a moment, he was about to lose what he loved the most in the world ... Merlin and Mordred.

The blond growled from frustration and Merlin heard him. "Hold on, Arthur ... sit down against the tree ... you have to rest a moment after what you've been through"

He nodded and looked around, "Mordred?"

Merlin smiled, "He is here ... he is still sleeping. Not even an invasion has managed to wake him up... he truly is his father’s son"

Arthur managed a tired smile and raised his arms, "Can you give him to me?"

The brunet took the child, asleep under Merlin's cloak, and let Arthur held him in his arms. Merlin looked for a moment as Arthur tightened Mordred against his chest, nuzzling his black hair, finding comfort in the presence of his son.

Merlin left them like that and walked toward the others. Lancelot had just finished telling Percival that a small group of Southrons had attacked them, before reaching the ruins, and that Elyan had stayed behind to fight, giving them the time to escape. They did not know if he was still alive.

“Thank you, Percival, for bringing Arthur here," Merlin said to the good giant.

“It was an honor, Sire. But it was also due to Gwaine and Gaius’ help”

"What do we do now, Merlin? I don’t want to leave Gwen ... I ... I need to know what happened to her" Lancelot asked, still shocked by his wife’s betrayal.

"Don’t worry, Lance... we will not abandon Gwen in Morgana’s clutches. I also believe that she has not betrayed us willingly. But for now, we cannot do anything ... we need to find a safe place where to stay, rest and then, think more clarity of a way to fight back ... "

“Where should we go?” Percival asked.

Merlin looked at his husband and child and smiled, “I think we should go home”

Lancelot frowned, “what do you mean?”

“I mean it’s time to go back to Draken, my friend”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in the next chapter there will be dark morgana, merlin talking with an old friend and...there may be a very special sword involved ;-)


	27. Whoso pulleth out this sword...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, my dear readers ... sorry for the delay.  
> in this chapter we will know better the skills of a Dragonlord; arthur and merlin become great kings ...  
> There are hints from several episodes of Merlin and the Lord of the Rings ... if you know it, you will recognize them.
> 
> WARNING: rape, slavery

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

The journey to Draken had been uneventful. They had bought horses, less flashy clothes and supplies in a village in Essentir and headed toward Merlin’s original kingdom.

Mordred was strangely excited about this new adventure, since he had never strayed too far from the castle before. Most of the time he had traveled on Merlin’s horse, since he preferred his daddy by far... but very often, Arthur had demanded that the child rode with him ... showing great reluctance in letting his son out of his sight.

Merlin had noticed that Arthur was always very quiet and passive ... he had rarely given orders, leaving the reins of their small group to Merlin. The only occasions, in which he had returned to be the leader he was only a few days ago, had been when he was ordering Merlin and Mordred not to stray too far from him and when he was forcing Mordred to sleep on the bedroll between his parents.

The brunet had tried to talk to him in private, but unfortunately, they had been never alone.

….

Four day later, in the morning, they reached Drakaria and Merlin struggled to hold back the tears at the sight of his home after a long time. The dark stones of the castle, located on the edge of the precipice above the lake; the colorful houses in the lower town; the air filled with the purest magic ... finally, he was home...

 

                                                          

 

“We will not have problems entering the city! Sir Kay knows me ... he knows it’s me," Arthur said, noting the young knight who was coming toward them at the gates of the city.

Sir Kay was a distant relative of Arthur and the man in charge of governing the former kingdom of Draken in place of the blond King.

“My lord, we did not expect your visit ... has something happened?" Evidently, the news of the dethronement had not reached so far lands yet.

"It would be better to discuss this inside the castle; don’t you think so, Sir Kay? The journey has been long and we are tired ... especially Prince Mordred" Arthur said, annoyed.

The knight bowed in embarrassment, “Of course, Sire ... follow me"

As they rode through the streets of the city, more and more people poured to the streets to see who had arrived. Seeing their beloved Prince Merlin, the people gasped and bowed to the ground, awed and delighted.

Merlin wanted to stop and talk to each of them, but Arthur was right: Mordred was tired and Merlin just wanted to take his son to safety in the castle and to give him something to eat, before putting him to bed.

….

After explaining to the knights of Camelot, remained in Draken after the invasion, what had happened with Morgana, the runaway group retreated to their rooms to have lunch and to relax after the long journey.

Merlin was looking at the courtyard out of the window of his room, while Arthur was playing with Mordred on the bed.

Suddenly the blond said, "We should think about another place where to hide ... we’d better leave in a few days"

Merlin frowned. He did not want to go away from his home so soon. "What do you mean? We are safe here”

Arthur shook his head, "No, love, we're not ... remember, Draken is part of the kingdom of Camelot now ... that means it's Morgana’s now. I bet you that tonight or at the latest tomorrow we will have her men outside the walls, ready to attack…and it will be her right to do so... she is also the queen of Draken now" He said, looking down, defeated.

The brunet took a deep breath, tired of his husband’s negative behavior. He looked again at the courtyard and smiled. He went to the bed, he lifted Mordred in his arms and said to Arthur, "Come on, follow me"

They walked down a hallway until they reached a big wooden door. Merlin ordered the guards to open it and, after a moment of hesitation and a hint from Arthur, they did. Once the door was opened, they found themselves on the balcony, facing the courtyard. To Arthur’s surprise, there was a sea of people below them, all looking up at them.

As soon as they saw Merlin, they began to cheer and applaud, shouting, "King Merlin, King Merlin, King Merlin... Long live King Merlin, Long live King Merlin!!"

Mordred was fascinated by what he was seeing. He smiled widely to the people who were calling loudly his daddy’s name and began to wave his little hand. Merlin did the same.

After a few minutes, Merlin turned toward Arthur to reenter. The blond's eyes were still wide open, due to what he had just seen.

"See, Arthur? Draken may officially be under the power of Camelot; but in fact, this is still MY kingdom..." He took a step forward, stopping at a millimeter from Arthur’s face, "…I _AM_ THE KING ... not you and especially not Morgana. If I say that for now we are safe here, then we are safe"

That said, the brunet turned to go back toward their rooms, to finally put Mordred to bed, leaving a shocked Arthur behind.

 

^^^^

 

Meanwhile in Camelot, the new dark queen was also watching the courtyard from the window of her brother’s former room. She had just returned from a new torture session to which she was subjecting Elyan to find out where Arthur and Merlin had fled... but the knight did not know anything.

 

                                                                         

 

Morgana was very frustrated because of this, and also because she had not managed to get pregnant of Merlin, despite the fact that she was sure that she had used the strongest spells and potions to increase her fertility. Everything would already have been solved if she could have conceived... Merlin would have never abandoned their child… therefore, he would have been here with her to rule their kingdom ... _Damn it_!!

“How many men have you sent to Draken?" She asked Helios.

"About a hundred... they should get there today or tomorrow. Do not worry, _my lady_ ... if your dear brother and his husband are there, my men will find them," He said, panting, as he thrust hard in the cunt of the dark skinned girl beneath him.

Helios and Gwen were on the bed. Gwen was on her knees with her face pressed to the mattress. She was completely naked, except for a leather collar around her neck and a bit gag in her mouth, tied behind her head.

As a punishment for losing Merlin, Morgana gave her to Helios, who had been using her as a sex slave for four days ... as he was doing in that moment.

Morgana nodded, still looking outside, “Good. The people of Camelot welcome me as their queen?”

“They will swear allegiance to no one but Arthur and Merlin”

She smirked evilly, “I expected no less. When you finish with your bitch, burn their crops. Let’s see how they feel when their children begin to starve”

Helios laughed and slapped Gwen’s ass, making her moan in a muffled way. “What about us? Won’t we starve too?”

Morgana chuckled, “oh Helios, do you think I’m stupid? My magic will create the necessary food for us and for the army ... but the people ... the people has to suffer as I suffered. To know what it's like to be alone and afraid. To be disgusted with who and what you are… they did NOTHING to help me when I was in that hole, when my sister was beheaded ... and now, I will not certainly help them," She said, swallowing her hate.

Helios shrugged, disinterested. He kept pushing inside of Gwen from behind. "And what do we do with her? I thought that you wanted to get rid of her as soon as you had conquered Camelot ... after all, now she is useless"

Morgana sat on the bed next to Gwen. The Queen petted the head of her old friend with a hand, as if she was a dog, and with the other hand, she inserted two fingers into her anus, finger-fucking her. Gwen’s eyes were unfocused and she began to drool because of all those sexual stimuli.

“At first I wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible ... but now, she might just still be useful. I'm sure that Merlin and her dear husband Lancelot will come to take her ... as long as we have her, we can be sure that, no matter what happens, they will return to Camelot ... and we will be ready to welcome them back home!...Now hurry up and finish it, I want to be alone," Morgana hissed.

The man obeyed and cum. He took a leash and attacked it to Gwen’s collar. He pulled it and forced the girl to follow him, crawling out of the room behind her master.

 

^^^^

 

The next day, in Drakaria, Merlin, Arthur, Percival, Lancelot, Sir Kay and Aglain, Alice’s apprentice and Draken new physician, were sitting at the table in the council room to talk about how to regain Camelot and to save Gwen.

The Camelot part was simple enough: all of them and the knights present in Draken would attack Camelot to reclaim it and Merlin would take care of Morgana. It had been the brunet king to decide this strategy, given the fact that, as usual, Arthur had not spoken. He had just kept looking down, frowning, thinking.

The Gwen’s part was the reason why Merlin wanted Aglain there with them. He, Merlin, Balinor and Alice were the most experts about magic in the whole kingdom. If they hoped to understand what kind of spell Morgana had used on Gwen, they would need him too.

"Are you sure that the girl has not betrayed you for real?" Aglain inquired.

Lancelot was ready to lash out at the man; outraged by his negative assumptions against his wife. It was Merlin’s firm hand on his arm to stop him. The knight took a deep breath and replied, "I'm sure ... I know my wife. She is a kind and good soul... she would NEVER do something like that ... she is my best friend and my true love... _please_ ," Lancelot whispered the last part sadly.

"I ask your forgiveness, noble knight ... I did not want to offend anyone. I just wanted to be sure that your wife was really cursed, before starting investigating how. We now know that Morgana Le Fay has done a spell to manipulate her mind. The problem is that there are too many spells like that ... you have to give me more information. When do you think she has been enchanted?"

They thought for a moment about what they knew. Merlin was the one to answer, "two years ago ... when Morgana invaded Camelot for the first time. After that episode, Gwen began to be more closed... we thought it was because of the trauma"

“It must have happened about two days before our arrival ... Leon had told us it had been Gwen to free him from the dungeons. Moreover, no one had followed him when we found him ... so, Gwen was still herself when it had happened" Percival added.

“Ehm… if I may add something ... in fact, lady Guinevere was gone for a couple of days in that period ... she only reappeared when King Merlin was giving birth," Daegal said shyly from his seat behind Merlin, not knowing if he could speak in front of all those noblemen.

Aglain thought for a moment, "It is likely that Morgana has chosen a spell that required a few days to take possession of the mind of the victim ... and let's not forget that Morgana is a priestess of the Old Religion, if I'm not mistaken..." The eyes of the man widened "… _perhaps_ ... boy, have you found strange objects in the castle? Some artifact you've never seen before?"

The servant frowned, but tried to remember nonetheless, "N-no .... Wait ... some servants found strange things hanging from the ceiling of the tower, while they were cleaning up the castle after Morgana’s defeat... they did not know what they were ... A sort of roots, I think"

"Roots? Are you sure?" the physician asked. When the boy nodded, he asked again, "by chance, were these roots covered with a black and slimy substance? How many were there?"

"Yes, they were covered with it ... there were a lot of them ... the servants burned them"

"As I feared ..."

"Aglain?" Merlin asked. He had a vague idea of what kind of spell it was ... but he hoped to be wrong.

"I think Morgana performed an ancient ritual of the Old Religion, called the Teine Diaga”

“Teine Diaga?” Lancelot asked, very worried, after noticing Merlin’s pale and scared face.

“The sacred fire. The ritual used the [mandrake root ](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7b/84/f5/7b84f5959509348387c8b2adb6a03b4f.jpg)to bring unimaginable terror to the victims. When it was finally over, their will was no longer their own. They were slaves of the high priestesses for eternity… Your wife’s body is nothing but an empty vessel filled by the will of another.”

“How do I break this spell?” Lancelot sounded like a scared child by then.

It was Merlin to answer this time, “We must travel to the Cauldron of Arianrhod. There I will need all of my powers to summon the White Goddess herself.Gwen must enter the Cauldron. Its waters hold the Goddess' power. Only their touch can heal her. However, Gwen must enter the water willingly. If she is tricked, forced or beguiled, she will fall into the abyss and be lost forever”

After a moment of silence, Lancelot swallowed and said, "Then, once Morgana is defeated, we will capture Gwen and when we have recovered from the battle, we will go to the Cauldron of Arianrhod in order to save her soul"

"No, my friend ... we cannot waste time after beating Morgana. Unfortunately, Gwen is now only an empty body and if it were to stay away from her mistress or without her orders for too long, I fear that it too will die...  Gwen’s body is alive only because it’s full of Morgana’s will, without that, it's just a body without a soul... in a few words: dead. We will have to goto the Cauldron of Arianrhod immediately and…”

Merlin stopped suddenly ... his magic had sensed something dangerous approaching the castle. "Morgana's men are here ... they are in the forest"

Arthur stood up, "Kay, gather the knights and ..."

"There is no need for the knights, Arthur! ... Follow me" Merlin got up and ran out of the room, followed by the others.

As they climbed the stairs of the tower, Arthur continued to yell at his husband, "Merlin, what the hell are you doing? We must prepare for the attack!!" However, the brunet ignored him.

 

When they reached the top of the tower, they had the whole view of the forest before them and in fact, they could see a large movement in the brush, quicklyapproaching the castle.

"Merlin ..." Arthur tried again.

"Shut up, prat .... I know what I’m doing. Now, I'll show you one of the reasons why this castle had never been conquered before you"

Merlin approached the railing of the tower and opened his arms. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. After a few seconds, he began to cast a spell in a language unknown to those present, " _oh alberi, miei fratelli, difendete il cammino; che i miei nemici non si avvicinino_ ”

He joined his hands above his head and a wave of energy traveled to the forest.

Suddenly, the trees of the woods began to come to life. Under the astonished eyes of everyone, eyes, noses and mouths appeared on the trunks of the great and ancient plants; also, the branches seemed to become hands and legs.

 

                                           

 

The trees moved towards Morgana’s mercenary soldiers. Using their powerful branches and throwing huge rocks, they killed the enemy in a few minutes.

Slowly the screams of the men stopped and silence returned in the Enchanted Forest.

When Merlin lowered his hands, the trees returned to their place and returned motionless as before.

Merlin turned to his friends and his husband, still obviously shocked by what they had seen, "Done! Now we can go back in"

"What was that?" Sir Kay asked.

"That was an example of the power of a Dragonlord ... of our power and influence on the magical creatures ... do not make the mistake of considering this place as one of the many kingdoms that you have conquered ... Draken is so much more than that"

For the first time, the knight bowed respectfully at King Merlin Emrys.

….

While the group headed back to the council room, Arthur asked his husband, "If you are able to perceive the danger that comes close to the castle, how come you had not sensed me when I attacked Drakaria?"

"I do not know, Arthur ... maybe in that moment my magic was not working"

Merlin was half lying. At the beginning, he did not really know why in that fateful evening his magic had not worked. Then, in recent years, he concluded that since his magic LOVES Arthur, that night it refused to warn him of the danger ... because, according to his magic, he was not in danger ... it wanted Arthur to take him.

 

^^^^

 

That evening, after putting Mordred to bed, Merlin entered his bedroom. Arthur was already in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking.

“Arthur, what's the matter?”

“I was a fool. I misjudged everyone. Every decision I've made has been wrong. I should be more discerning, wise...a statesman, a king. If I had been a real king, Morgana would have never been able to defeat me twice ... I would not have put my family in danger. There’s nothing special about me. I'm just like everyone else”

“You're not. You're a worthy king”

“I'm good with a sword. That's all.”

“Your people love you”

“Most of them are dead. Thanks to me”

“No, most of them escaped. They'll be in the forest, waiting for their king. I'm sure of that”

“Well, if they are, they'll have to find themselves a new king”

“Arthur…”

“No, Merlin… I've been thinking about this for a while ... maybe my father was right: I'm just a failure and I should have died instead of my mother and..."

"ARTHUR!! Never think that... in fact, you should stop thinking at all ... obviously it’s bad for you"

Arthur scuffed, "I cannot stop thinking ..."

"Well, then I’ll have to help you"

Merlin undressed completely and reached Arthur on the bed. He laid down on top of him and started to undress him, kissing his face.

“Merlin, I don’t think…”

“Shhh, stop thinking… relax… let it go, Arthur…”

The brunet kissed all the muscular body of his husband, trying to give him confidence and strength, to eliminate the bad thoughts that had been afflicting the blond for almost a week, or maybe for all his life.

When Merlin began to massage Arthur’s hole with the tip of his finger, he flinched at the touch.

"M-Merlin ... what ..."

"Don’t think, Arthur ... you just have to feel and to trust me ... do you trust me?"

Arthur stared at his love, "More than you could ever imagine"

Merlin smiled and continued what he was doing, now that the blond had willingly spread his legs.

Soon, Merlin had three fingers inside of Arthur, who was totally relaxed for the first time in his life. His mind was empty and serene after a long time.

The brunet positioned himself at his entrance and began to push inside, kissing Arthur’s forehead to distract him, "Shh, everything will be fine!"

They began to make love. Merlin was gentle as only he could be, but also as strong as a dragon ... and Arthur had never felt so loved ... for a moment, he forgot his problems, his past and his future ... there was only the present. A tear fell on his cheek.

The both of them came and Merlin fell on Arthur’s body, sweating and panting. The blond put his arms around Merlin’s neck; he sniffed his hair; then, he whispered in his ear, "Thank you"

Merlin smiled, "if I had known it was so easy to please you, I would have done this much sooner!"

Arthur laughed, throwing his head back. Merlin joined him soon after.

"Are you ok now, Arthur?"

"I feel better ... but to be honest ... I'm still not sure that we can reconquer Camelot ... maybe it’s not my destiny ... until now, the facts has been all against me..."

This said, he curled against Merlin and fell asleep.

**....**

Merlin could not sleep. He stayed awoken for a while, watching Arthur sleeping beside him with his head on his chest.

He had to do something. Without Arthur, defeating Morgana would be impossible ... Merlin had not been joking before: the people really loved Arthur and would follow him anywhere. If they saw their king so dejected, all hopes would vanish.

_How do I make him come back to himself?_

And then, Merlin realized he knew who could help him.

Careful not to wake his husband up, Merlin got out of bed. He put on a black coat and left the room.

Without being seen by the guards, he left the castle and went to the forest.

He whistled and after a few seconds, a beautiful white unicorn joined him, "Hello, Arwen," Merlin whispered, while stroking its neck.

 

                                                                          

 

He mounted and whispered in its ear, "You know where to go, my friend"

They rode for a while. All around Merlin, the forest and its creatures rejoiced at feeling the presence of their Lord. Despite the fact that they were able to survive without him, they were delighted to see their kin among them again.

This is why their magic literally lit up his path, knowing very well where he wanted to go.

 

Merlin stopped in a clearing with a lake and a small waterfall. As soon as he got down from the unicorn, the king was surrounded by colorful fairies, all happy to see him again… after all he had grown up among them. Merlin beamed and greeted them with joy. Then, he was distracted by the mermaids in the lake that were singing a song of welcome back ... he was happy to see them, after all, they had been his swimming teachers, when he was a child.

Merlin approached the waterfall, which opened after recognizing him. He ran through a tunnel and then, he found himself in a wide meadow, surrounded by rocks and caves: the Dragons’ Shrine.

His father used to take him here often to know the dragons and to learn what it meant to be a Dragonlord: respect these noble creatures, leave them free to be themselves, even if you have the power to imprison them ... and they will thank you.

His thoughts were interrupted by a thump. He looked up and he found himself in front of his old friend and mentor. Merlin beamed. "Kilgharrah!!"

Kilgharrah smiled down on him “It’s a pleasure to see you again. What is troubling you, young warlock?”

“You know what has happened to me in the last few years?"

"Certainly. We dragons know everything about what happens in the human world... even if we do not like to interfere ... men are very complicated and boring"

“It's Arthur. He's lost the will to fight. He feels he's failed his people; he believes he no longer deserves to be king”

“The fate of Camelot rests in your hands, young warlock, for you and you alone can restore the king's faith”

“How?”

“You must make him believe that he can be king once more”

Merlin mulled that over.

“What are you thinking about, Merlin?”

“It’s just… it’s just that I’m wondering if I really WANT for Arthur to regain his strength… he has hurt me a lot…. I have lost a lot because of him”

“I wish I could be of more help… but this is your choice alone. I can only tell you what the prophecies say about you two"

"What?"

"That your and Arthur's path lies together is but the truth...I have already told you about Emrys and his destiny to help the Once and Future King, who will unite the land of Albion”

“But, if I’m Emrys… are you saying that ARTHUR is the Once and Future King??”

“This depends on you ... Emrys is not only going to help the Once and Future King, but he is also intended to find him, to choose him among all men ... what you have to ask yourself, Merlin, is: do YOU want Arthur to be the Once and Future King? Are you ready to choose him to be The King among the kings? If so, you know what you have to do to make him become the High King"

Merlin nodded and some tears came down long his face, "I know what I have to do ... but he ... he killed my father, invaded my kingdom, he made my mother suffer..."

"It is true"

"But he has also loved me; he gave me a new home, full of life and of my friends; he gave me a purpose in life .... He gave me a SON ..."

“None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin, and none of us can escape it…no matter how painful it is"

Merlin took a deep breath, "Thanks, Kilgharrah ... your advice and your wisdom are always an honor"

He was about to leave, when the dragon called him back, "Young warlock, despite what I have just told you about destiny ... there is a person whose fate has not been written yet and that is constantly changing ... be careful with your son, because the path he’ll follow will depend greatly on you and Arthur’s doing..."

Merlin frowned, but nodded, "I hope to see you again soon, old friend!"

 

^^^^

 

The next morning, Merlin woke Arthur.

“What?”

“There's something I need to show you”

Merlin walked off. Arthur reluctantly followed him, after dressing himself.

“This had better be good because this really isn't the time for one of your ridiculous games”

“I was thinking about last night and how you were saying how you'd given up all hope, how you were a poor leader and a shoddy king”

"Shoddy?"

“All right, ‘shabby’"

“Thanks.”

“Well, it reminded me of a tale my father once told me and that everyone in Draken knows about” Merlin kept walking. He took Arthur in the Enchanted Forest.

“Merlin, I'm really not interested in your favourite bedtime stories”

“For once in your life, just...listen”

Arthur rolled his eyes, “Fine… go on”

“Many years ago, before the birth of the five kingdoms, before the elders of each tribe drew up plans for the lands to be divided and before each would respect the others' boundaries, this land but Draken was in an endless cycle of bloodshed and war. Everyone wanted to be High King…”

“Yes, I know, Merlin…every child in Camelot does. Can I go back to bed now?”

“You are the child…No. Because there's another part of the story that you haven't heard”

“Really?”

“Yes… your people started to forget it, when they started to abandon magic. By the way… One man was determined to end all that. That man was Draken's first king, ancestor to all that followed, including me. He was Myrddin, the first Dragonlord. He proposed a solution to the tribal chiefs: a test. Anyone who would have passed that test would become High King of Albion. Myrddin took a sword and ordered a dragon to forge it with its breathe. A weapon forged with a dragon’s assistance will have great power. Then, the Dragonlord thrust this sword into a rock, deep in the Enchanted Forest of Draken, a neutral kingdom.”

“What was the test?”

“The test was simple:  whoever removes the sword from the stone will be the new High King of Albion. The sword was magical and it would be extracted only if its magic would recognize the Once and Future King. Many undertook the quest, but everyone failed ... and with time, the sword was forgotten”

“And where is this rock?”

Merlin pointed with his hand, ahead of him. Arthur followed Merlin's line of sight. The blond was stunned by the sight of the sword in the stone. It was beautiful, perfectly polished and golden.

“Arthur, that’s Excalibur, a king’s sword”  

 

                                                       

 

They walked closer, Arthur was surprised again as a crowd of knights and peasants appeared out of the forest.  Previously notified by Merlin.

Arthur glanced back at him, “What the hell are you playing at?”

“I'm proving that you are their leader and their king”

“That sword is stuck fast in solid stone”

“And you're going to pull it out”

“Merlin, it's impossible”

“Arthur, you're the true king of Camelot and Albion. You aren't just anyone, you are special. You and you alone can draw out that sword. Do you trust me?”

The blond looked at him with a fond expression, caressing his cheek, “With all my heart”

Arthur approached the stone slowly. He looked up at the crowd hesitantly and then placed both hands on the hilt. He tried to pull the sword out, but it didn’t moved.

“You have to believe, Arthur.”

Arthur struggled but the sword didn’t move.

Merlin noticed that Arthur was looking scarily at the people, as if he was afraid of their criticism and their disapproving looks.

“Have faith. The magic in the sword will recognize you as the rightful king”

“How do you know?” the blond asked, desperate.

“Because I’m magic itself and I… I believe in you, Arthur. You're destined to be Albion's greatest king… just… stop thinking of what may or may not happen… just feel the magic calling you…”

Arthur placed one hand on the sword hilt and closed his eyes, willing himself to believe.

Then, Merlin felt it. He felt the magic in the sword triggering, finally recognizing that Arthur’s heart was ready to be the Once and Future King.

Arthur pulled the sword out and stared at it, amazed. The people watched in awe. Then, they started shouting, “Long live the king! Long live the king! Long live the king!”

Merlin was speechless. He looked up at the trees of the forest and saw Kilgharrah. The king spoke to him in the mind, " _I made my choice ... Emrys has chosen his Once and Future King_ "

The Great Dragon nodded, pleased, and roared in celebration.

Arthur turned to his husband, smiling widely. He approached him and kissed him passionately.

When they parted, Merlin whispered, "Long live the king ... my king"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merlin spell is in Italian (sorry I don't know ancient english): "oh alberi, miei fratelli, difendete il cammino; che i miei nemici non si avvicinino" = 'oh tree, my brothers, defend the way; so that my enemies do not come this way' (it's better in italian)
> 
> in the next chapter: camelot battle, gwen's saving and... the return of an old character.


	28. Camelot battle and true love always wins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter you will find a slightly jealous merlin. It was not expected, but a couple of you readers have asked for it ... so here he is ... although it is not much.
> 
> thank you all for your comments and kudos :-)

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

****     

 

 

After pulling Excalibur from the stone, the men in Draken decided to celebrate, before leaving for Camelot the next day.

Reluctantly, Arthur was forced to leave his new sword in his room because apparently, Mordred felt uncomfortable around it. He looked at it as if it was the enemy. However, the blond did not want to part with it, because he was afraid that someone could steal it.

He had calmed down when Merlin had told him that no one but him or someone he trusted could touch Excalibur without being burned by the dragon fire with which the sword had been forged.

 

The feast was very pleasant and Arthur smiled and joked for the first time after a week of shadows and despair.

However, the more he drank, the more he became clinging with Merlin. With the passing of the hours, he became increasingly possessive, never letting the brunet out of his sight and glaring at anyone who came too near his husband. At first, Arthur tried to touch Merlin as much intimately as possible, but Mordred’s presence on Merlin's lap blocked him every time... he could not wait to put the baby to bed.

….

A few hours later, the kings retired to their rooms and while Arthur was busy admiring Excalibur under the moonlight, Merlin helped Mordred to bed in the next room.

"Daddy, when we go home?" The prince asked in an innocent but a bit sad and melancholy voice.

"Very soon, my love. Very soon, we will back home and to Aithusa ..." He tried to calm his child by talking about the wooden dragon that Balinor had made for Merlin and that Merlin had given to Mordred. Merlin was sure that his father would have been happy to know that the grandson he would never know had something of his. The king smiled, stroking his child’s black hair.

The prince's eyes lit up at hearing the name of his dragon toy. “Will we see Granpa Gaius, Granma Alice and Uncle Gwaine too?"

Merlin beamed at him, “Of course. They'll be happy to see you again, pumpkin. But now you must rest. Tomorrow we have a long journey ahead of us”

The child nodded. Then, he looked down and bit his lips, as if he was not sure of being allowed to ask what he had in his mind. “Daddy, I…”

"Mordred? What is it, darling? You know you can tell me everything ..."

"Is Papa ... is Papa hurting you?" The child asked in a very small voice ... almost whispering.

Merlin was shocked ... his heart fell into his stomach. "Wh ... What? Why do you think such a thing?"

Mordred shrugged, "Auntie Gwen told me that Papa hurts you, that he keeps you captive, that he is evil and that you do not want to be with him..."

Merlin closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply. He knew who was to blame for all this: Morgana. Gwen was not able to have her own opinion... everything she did and said was Morgana's doing. She was trying to make Mordred hate his papa, using his love for Merlin. _Witch_!!

"Honey, Antie Gwen was lying. You see, she's not well ... now she is not herself and therefore she did not believe what she was saying. Soon, papa, uncle Lancelot and I will save her. Mordred, your father does not hurt me ... he loves me. Besides, I could never hate him ... after all, he gave me you ... my most important treasure," Merlin said, hugging his son, hoping to have convinced him.

The child nodded, heartened. He laid serenely in the bed, watching his daddy with all the love he had.

Merlin smiled, kissing him on the forehead. "I love you, Mordred. You’re the most important thing in my life... sweet dreams, my angel"

"Sweet dreams, daddy ... I love you too." Mordred closed his eyes and was soon asleep, forgetting to tell his father that sometimes he had also heard a woman’ voice in his head, telling him the same things Guinevere did.

….

Merlin barely had the time to close the door of the bedroom that Arthur was all over him immediately. He kissed him with despair and passion, "Finally!! I could not wait any longer. I must have you now!"

The brunet was momentarily surprised by the assault ... he was no longer accustomed to a so impetuous Arthur. However, he had to admit that he had missed him like this. "Ar ... Arthur ... are you okay? It has been a while since you acted like this!" Merlin said, returning the kiss without restraint.

"I know ... I know .... Sorry ... but do not worry ... I am myself again now... from now on, I will give you all the love you deserve. And now I'm going to thank you for your trust, if you do not have any objections"

"None ..." Merlin said, shaking his head. His lips were already swollen and red.

"Good," said Arthur, ripping his husband’s clothes in a single gesture.

In a moment, they were both naked and standing in the middle of the room.

Arthur began to kiss, lick and bite Merlin’s neck. Then, he did the same with his belly, loving that part of his body, where his son had grown for nine months. Then, Arthur came up and licked a nipple, then the other. In the end, he bite them both, strong.

Merlin moaned, almost screaming with pleasure. Arthur covered his mouth with a hand, whispering in his ear, "Shh, my love ... You do not want to wake our son up. To tell you the truth, I know a perfect way to keep you silent..."

Arthur put his hands on Merlin’s shoulders and pushed him to kneel in front of his huge and throbbing cock.

The blond took his penis in hand and moved it from right to left against Merlin's lips, wetting them with his pre-cum.

The brunet could not resist the temptation to lick his lips in a sensual way, knowing the effect that gesture had on his husband.

Arthur moaned, "Oh, darling. You do not know what you do to me ... I love you so much! Come on, take it ... I know you want it"

Without hesitation, Arthur pushed his member beyond Merlin's lips, all inside.

The younger king put his hands on Arthur’s waists to hang on something and to feel his strong muscles twitching, as he pushed into his mouth more and more frantically.

"Oh yes, Merlin ... use more tongue ... yeah, like that ... harder ... oh God ..." Arthur could not hold back an expression of pure pleasure, when Merlin rubbed his testicles with his hot hand, touching his anus softly.

Arthur came and held Merlin’s head firmly there, until he had swallowed everything.

"Wow ... so good. But you haven’t had your satisfaction yet, my little one. Do no worry ... I'll take care of you ... but I’m warning you: tonight I will not be too kind ... I just want feel you completely”

Merlin nodded. He understood Arthur’s need to regain control of his life.

The brunet stood up and the blond helped him to kneel on the bed.

"Spread your legs, my love ... perfect ... now rest your head on the pillow ... I want to see your beautiful ass in the air"

Merlin did it. Arthur picked up a wooden bar from a corner of the room and put it behind Merlin's knees. He took a rope and tied his knees to the bar, careful to separate them as much as possible from each other. Then, he tied Merlin's hands to the central part of the bar, passing them between the legs of the brunet.

“Beautiful..." Arthur whispered, as he watched his husband completely at his mercy. Gently, he stroked his back and bottom.

Merlin squirmed slightly ... the ropes did not leave him much room to move. "Arthur ... this is not necessary ... I will not run away"

"Shh ... I told you, you will wake up the baby ... you leave me no choice"

Arthur found a handkerchief and used it as a gag, tying it behind the bounded boy's head. "Now you're perfect"

Arthur positioned himself behind Merlin, looking reverently at his asshole moving to the rhythm of the brunet’s breath.

The blonde leaned over it and blew on that perfect entrance.

"Mnmmphphnmm" Merlin moaned.

Then, Arthur began to lick it; first with circular movements of his tongue, then licking up and down. When he was sure that it was well wetted, he blew again and Merlin flinched at the coldness that he felt in that so delicate part of his body.

After a few minutes licking outside, Arthur's tongue penetrated Merlin and began to fuck him. The brunet trashed beneath his husband, but Arthur did not give him respite; indeed ... whenever Merlin moved too much, Arthur spanked his buttocks strongly.

After a while, Merlin came for the first time that evening ... and it would not be the last one.

Satisfied that his husband was well stretched and with his eyes unfocused, Arthur pushed inside two fingers, finger-fucking him, before he had recovered from the orgasm.

He found his prostate immediately and rubbed it mercilessly. Merlin clenched his tied hands in fists because of his high sensitivity. He was trembling.

Arthur noticed and clenched Merlin's hand, as a sort of comfortable gesture, while inserting the third finger. Merlin cum again with a muffled scream.

Arthur chuckled, "I see you like it ... Calm down ... I will give you a lot of more soon," He said, while masturbating the brunet's spent cock.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Arthur knelt behind Merlin with his penis in his hand. He leaned on Merlin's entrance. "Ready, love?"

Merlin nodded, embracing himself. Arthur pushed inside of him with a single thrust. Merlin screamed.

When he was all in, the blonde came out completely and then, back in again. He continued like that for a while.

Merlin was going crazy because of the great sensations that Arthur was giving him.

Then, Arthur increased the pace of the thrusts ... they were frantic, strong, insatiable.

The bed was moving along with them and soon, both experienced one of the strongest orgasms of their lives. Merlin cum for the third time; Arthur for the second.

The blonde leaned on the back of his husband, sweaty. Both were panting heavily.

Arthur took the gag out of Merlin's mouth, kissing him lovingly. "Are you all right? Wow, love ... it has been great. Thanks ... I needed it."

"Yes, I'm fine ... I liked it too," Merlin smiled.

 

Arthur was untying Merlin, when their doors suddenly flew open and a servant came in.

"My lords, Sir Kay needs to talk to..."

The young boy stopped in front of the scene before him: King Merlin completely bound and naked on the bed with an equally naked King Arthur untying him. The clues of what they were doing were evident on the bed and on their bodies.

Merlin made a distress sound, trying in vain to cover himself. He was all red due to the embarrassment.

Arthur's expression was one of pure anger. "YOU! HOW DARE YOU ENTER IN OUR ROOMS WITHOUT PERMISSION??"

"I ... I"

"OUT!!"

The servant ran like hell.

Arthur finished to free Merlin and hugged him. "Do not worry ... I'm sure that servant will not dare say anything about what he saw ... you're all flushed, honey ... I'm going to get you some water"

Merlin smiled grateful. But he was still distressed.

The blond left the room and walked to the kitchen, where he fortunately found the same servant of before. He was alone in the room. He was sterilizing some clothes in the boiling water.

Arthur coughed, drawing his attention.

The servant turned, surprised, and his eyes widened at seeing King Arthur behind him. "Sire ... I apologize for having disrespected you before"

"What's your name?"

"Tom, My Lord"

The King stretched his lips thoughtfully, walking towards the boy. "You see, Tom, I can forgive you for your disrespect .... The problem is that you have caused great discomfort to my husband... and I cannot accept it. Moreover, I don’t like that other men or women see my Beloved naked and in all his beauty"

"I didn’t ... I didn’t want to..." The boy was shaking with fear now.

Arthur put his hand behind Tom's head, stroking it in a kind gesture. "I know ... I know. But Merlin is special ... he is the Consort of the High King of Albion and all the wrongs done to him are UNFORGIVABLE!"

Without hesitation, Arthur pushed Tom's head face down in the boiling water, holding it there. The servant squirmed, trying to break free, but the king was too strong. Suddenly, Tom stopped moving, dead.

Arthur threw him on the floor, looking at his boiled face expressionlessly. Then, an evil grin appeared on his face.

He breathed deeply, satisfied. "Finally, I am back"

Leaving there poor Tom’s lifeless body, Arthur took a jug of cold water for Merlin and went back toward his room.

Just outside of it, he found Mordred, who looked at him with a strange expression ... as if he knew what his father had just done ... but it was impossible.

"Mordred, sweetheart, why are you still awake? You should be sleeping ..." Arthur smiled at his son.

The child watched him carefully for a few seconds, before speaking, "I had a nightmare ... can I sleep with Daddy?"

"Of course, love ... come here" Arthur lifted him in his arms and they went in the room to sleep with the person they loved the most in the world.

 

^^^^

 

During the third day of the journey toward Camelot, Arthur and Merlin met Leon and the group of citizens that had fled with him in the Forest of Essentir. Everyone rejoiced at finding their beloved kings.

Merlin was relieved to have found some of the people; the only negative detail was that among them there was Anna, the daughter of the cook. She had a crush on Arthur. Every time she had to serve at the King Table, she always dressed provocatively, showing off her curves to the king. Moreover, Merlin had heard a rumor saying that she always invited blond men with blue eyes in her bed... _Bitch_!!

And there she was, sitting next to Arthur, as he was explaining to Leon and the other men the attacking strategy. She was leaning too much towards him, fluttering her eyelashes constantly.

.. It was too much...

Being careful not to be noticed, Merlin whispered a spell toward Anna.

After a few seconds, the magic worked. She farted loudly and everyone stared at her. She covered her mouth in shock and embarrassment.

Silence reigned in the camp now. She farted again.

Arthur looked at her as if he did not know what to say, "Uh..."

"My ... my lord, I don’t ..." She did it again.

She covered her face with her hands and ran into the woods, crying. Her flatulence continued.

Everyone started to laugh and Merlin noticed that Arthur was looking at him, smirking. He knew.

Merlin looked away, looking at the stars innocently.

….

Later that night, Arthur jogged up to Merlin.

“You all right?” The brunet asked.

“Yes”

“Do you think Morgana has too many men?”

“Southrons are men like me. Men we can fight. But Morgana...what can we do against her magic?”

Merlin smiled, "Leave it to me"

"What do you need?"

"I need a big bowl of water and straw..."

Arthur was confused, "What?"

"Just do it"

 

When everything was ready, Merlin sat down in front of the bowl. He casted a spell and Morgana’s image appeared in the water, sleeping in her room.

All the presents were shocked.

"Merlin, what you gonna do?" Arthur asked.

"Watch"

The brunet took the effigy he had made with the straw. " _Ontende eallne THAES drycræftes hire awæge_!"

The poppet's head burst into flames and after another spell, Merlin threw it into the water.

Under the fascinated eyes of the people of the camp, the effigy reappeared under Morgana’s bed, who did not notice anything.

"Now we can win the war," Merlin said, heading to his tent where Mordred was sleeping.

 

^^^^

 

The next day, after leaving Mordred behind with Daegal, the little Army stepped forward toward the castle, not knowing that Morgana had seen them from her window.

After whispering something to a guard, she and Helios headed to the throne room to wait for her dear brother and her love.

Sir Leon leaded one group to take out the sentries on the wall with crossbows. Sir Percival went to free his fellow knights in the dungeons. Lancelot went to find Gwen to lock her in a room, waiting for everything to end.

Arthur and Merlin fought sets of Southrons, charging through the palace tunnels toward the Throne Room.

They charged into the chamber, but stopped short when they found only Morgana lounging on the throne. Helios standing next to her.

“Welcome, dear brother. It's been far too long. Merlin, love, I missed you”

"Hello Morgana, pardon my bad language, but could you raise your evil ass from my throne, please? I do not want you to soil it"

The witch growled, "You may not be so funny when I'll remove your eyes and kill you, after I have forced you to watch me marrying and making mine your husband," She leered at Merlin.

The brunet stepped forward from behind Arthur, "What makes you think I want to be with you, Morgana??"

She smirked, "Because you love your son"

Arthur and Merlin stiffed at that. Merlin was the one to talk, "What do you mean? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON??"

Morgana laughed evilly, "One of my men should have found him as we speak. One word from me and your sweet little baby will found himself with a broken neck ... Come with me, Merlin, and help me to kill Arthur or Mordred dies"

Merlin became angry and hardened his eyes. He turned to Arthur and put a hand on his shoulder, whispering. “Kill her!!”

Then, the brunet began running towards the exit to save his son.

Morgana raised her hand to stop him and to drag him to her, "I don’t think so ... _Hleap on BAEC_!"

Nothing happened. Merlin disappeared behind the door.

Morgana was confused. She tried the spell again. Nothing.

“Not so powerful now, my lady” Arthur teased her.

Helios pulled Morgana behind him as she ran off. She made her way through the corridors, but a knight of Camelot stroked her from behind. She took him out, but not before sustaining a deadly wound in her side.

Meanwhile, after a long fight, Arthur managed to kill Helios, beheading him.

Camelot was his again.

….

Merlin ran to the edge of the forest, where he had left Mordred. When he arrived at the right place, he noticed Morgana’s soldier pointing his sword at Daegal’s neck, who was holding a crying Mordred.

“OH, HELLO!” Merlin shouted.

The man spun around and pointed the blade closer to Daegal. As soon as Mordred heard the voice of his father, he tried to stretch to reach him, "DADDY!!"

"Don’t worry, little one ... I'll be with you in a moment"

"Stay back ... or I'll kill him," The soldier shouted.

Merlin shook his head, "I do not think so ... Daegal, cover Mordred’s eyes"

The king blasted the man backwards with a flash of his eyes. He went still as he hit the ground.

Merlin took Mordred in his arms and went back to the castle.

 

^^^^

 

After killing all the enemy soldiers and giving first aid to the wounded. It was time to think about Gwen.

Lancelot had sedated and placed her in their bedroom, waiting for everything to end.

They had to hurry. Morgana’s dark magic was leaving her body very quickly.

After leaving Mordred in Gaius and Alice’s capable hands, Lancelot with an unconscious Gwen, Merlin and Arthur rode to the Cauldron of Arianrhod.

There, Lancelot had to find a way to convince his wife to enter the Pool. It was not easy. Morgana's magic was strong, but in the end, true love always triumphs.

Lancelot was able to reach that part of Gwen that had not been touched by the darkness and she entered the lake voluntarily.

Merlin recited the spell, " _Yfel gaest, ga thu fram thisselichaman. Bith hire mod eft freo. Ar ond heofonutungol sceal thurhswithan_ "

A white light surrounded Gwen. When it dissipated, she turned to smile at Lancelot and the two of them embraced one other.

While he was watching them with delight, Merlin felt a twinge in his stomach and a great weariness.

In a moment, he was on the ground and the last thing he heard before the darkness had enveloped him were Arthur’s alarmed shouts.

….

When he regained consciousness, Merlin was in his bed in the royal chambers. Arthur was sitting beside him, stroking his hair.

"Hey, good morning, Sleeping Beauty"

"What happened?"

"You fainted after saving Gwen ... two days ago"

Merlin wrinkled his nose, "For so long? That spell must have been very strong!"

Arthur smiled slyly, "No, you haven’t passed out because of the spell  ... Well, not really for that in itself"

The brunet was confused, "Then, why did it happen?"

The blond smiled, "Gaius has discovered a wonderful thing and the cause of your illness"

"I am touched that my pains make you so happy, thank you! What’s wrong with me?"

Arthur beamed, "You're pregnant! We will have another baby!!"

Merlin was shocked. Then, a huge smile spread across his face and he hugged his belly, looking at Arthur with tears of joy in the eyes, "Really?"

The blond nodded, "Yes, you should be about a month or two"

Merlin shouted of joy and hugged his husband. Arthur returned it.

Then the older king said, "Merlin, do you know what this means?"

"What?"

"That in a few months, we will have the hottest sex of our lives!!"

Merlin shook his head in disbelief, but smiled nonetheless. "Prat"

"Your prat" Arthur kissed him gently.

 

^^^^

 

Morgana stumbled through the forest, clutching her wounded side... Life was abandoning her.

Then, when she was about to lose consciousness after falling to the ground, she felt something stroking her cheek gently. She just opened her eyes and saw a white figure. It was blurred because of her blood loss.

A gentle and shy voice said, "Don’t worry ... I'll save you"

Morgana was about to pass out, but she had to know the name of her savior, "Who are you?"

"I'm Freya"


	29. FIVE YEARS LATER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone.  
> this chapter is set five years in the future. it's dived in two parts: merlin and arthur's part (where there will be some flashbacks) and morgana's part (that will follow a chronological timeline).

^^^^^^^^^^^

                                                                     the Villias

        

 

 

Five years had passed since the recapture of Camelot and many things had changed.

A quiet spring morning saw the kings of Camelot still lying in their bed. Arthur was doing the big spoon behind Merlin, kissing his shoulder occasionally. They were both facing the window.

They were enjoying that peace, when suddenly they heard the footsteps of someone running toward their bedroom.

"They are coming," Arthur sleepily whispered in his husband’s hair, not opening his eyes.

"It seems so" Merlin replied against the pillow.

"Why did we decide to have children?"

"Because you are a horny Prat!"

Arthur raised his head and looked down at the brunet, scandalized by the accusation ... after a few seconds of silence, he nodded and laid down again. "You are right ...I bet they will be here in three, two, one"

Their room doors swung open and two children ran inside, throwing themselves on their parents’ bed, jumping up and down.

"Daddy, Papa, wake up..." the children sang.

Both adults sighed. Peace was over.

 

They sat against the headboard of the bed, embracing their twin sons.

Constantine and Godric Pendragon were five years old and they were their second-borns after Mordred. Constantine Cador Pendragon had black hair and blue eyes, like Merlin and Mordred, but he had Arthur’s golden skin and muscular physique. Godric Balinor Pendragon was blond with Arthur’s sky-blue eyes, but was thin and slender with white skin. He had magic like Merlin.

The children were way too lively, always ready to cause pranks in the castle ... but Merlin would not change them for all the gold in the world.

Arthur had a particular sweet spot for Godric, since the child had saved his manhood: giving birth to the twins had been very difficult and painful for Merlin and when Constantine was born, Merlin was already exhausted. The mix of pain, fatigue and fear of having to give birth to the second twin caused Merlin to be very aggressive. Since he believed that Arthur was responsible for his sufferings, the brunet began to say a spell to castrate his husband. The only thing that saved Arthur from being emasculated had been Godric, who had been ready to come out. Since then, Arthur has been spoiling the child too much.

While Merlin was watching Godric in Arthur’s arms, he noticed something that made him exasperated.

"Godric, sweetie, what's in your hand?"

The child immediately hid the mysterious object behind his back. He gave an accomplice glance to his twin brother and looked at his daddy innocently. "Nothing, daddy"

"Godric. Balinor. Pendragon"

The five-years-old sighed, recognizing his parent’s tone. He reached out and showed the object.

Merlin grunted, while Arthur laughed. "Why do you have Emma’s doll? Did you steal it from her? Again??"

When Arthur calmed down, he told his husband, "I guess we'll find out soon, love"

True to his word, they heard a scream of anger and quick footsteps coming towards them. The doors opened again and this time a three-years-old blonde girl came in, still in her pink nightgown.

"Daddy, Papa ... Sally’s gone ... again"

"Oh ... come here, my princess." Arthur said, opening his arms for his first daughter, Emma Ygraine Pendragon. Arthur loved her shamelessly. She was his pride and joy.

Approaching the bed, she noticed her older twin brothers, but most of all she saw Sally, her favorite doll, in Godric’s hands. The girl turned red with rage and launched herself at her brother. Although she had three older brothers, the little girl was a lioness and knew how to stand up for herself... Arthur was very proud.

“Give me Sally back, Ric!!”

She jumped on the bed to take her toy from her brother, but Godric hid it again.

"No ... crybaby"

They began to insult and throw little sparks of magic at each other.

"ENOUGH!!" Merlin thundered, making the two litigants floating in the air. "When you get back to the ground, you will make peace. Godric, you will give Sally back to your sister. Emma, you will apologize to your brother for having beaten him and transformed his ears into those of a donkey"

The children nodded, not content.

Ones the chaos was over, Emma sat in Arthur’s lap, she definitely was a papa's girl, and Godric laid between his parents, while Constantine had not moved from Merlin's lap since the beginning of the affair.

"Now, quietly, sit at the table for breakfast, while I ..." Merlin was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Gwen’s head appeared from the door opening. "Can I?"

She came in with a crying bundle in her arms. "It looks like someone is hungry"

Merlin grinned and spread his arms, "Here she is… my beautiful flower"

Gwen gave the newborn to her daddy, who immediately began to breast-feed her...

Mary Margaret Hunith Pendragon, the youngest Princess of Camelot, was only a week old and had black hair, like Merlin, and his milk white skin.

"I'm sorry you had to bring me Mary, Gwen... I was going to come to her, but Godric and Emma began to quarrel ... as usual," Merlin said, kissing the little head of his brunette child.

Gwen smiled at the tender scene. Then, she turned to the two blond children, "you should not quarrel... you are brothers and should be nice to each other"

"Sorry, Auntie Gwen"

Merlin got out of bed, still feeding Mary. He was naked, but he did not care ... Arthur had seen him without clothes many times already; the brunet took a bath with his children many times and Gwen had witnessed almost all his labors ... so it was a bit too late to be scandalized.

He walked to the closet to choose his and Arthur's clothes.

"You know, Merlin; I may hate you" Gwen said after a few seconds, admiring Merlin's body.

"Why?"

"Because thou you have given birth to five children and at one of them just a week ago, you still have a perfect body. Look at you! You’re skinny and toned. You do not have a stretch mark and you seem to shine ... I have only one son and I have put on weight and I’m full of marks.... I hate you! "

Arthur was nodding to the words of the Lady, looking at his husband lustfully.

Merlin smiled, "it must be because I'm a Dragonlord ... my magic has always helped me to heal faster"

 

After they got dressed and after another knock, seven-years-old Mordred came in, holding the small hand of Galahad, Lancelot and Gwen's four years old son.

-After healing Guinevere from Morgana’s spell, she and Lancelot had needed to stay a little alone with each other. Lancelot had the impression that all they had done for the past two years had been a lie, while Guinevere did not even remember getting married.

After they had remarried, Arthur had offered to the two of them to stay in the castle of his uncle Agravaine for as long as they needed.

After about a year, the two had returned happier than ever and Gwen had announced that she was pregnant.

Galahad was born after a long and difficult labor. He had become the best friend of the twins, since they only had a few months as age difference -

 

When Merlin saw who had entered, he beamed. He put Mary in her basket on the table. Then, he turned to Mordred.

The child smiled openly at him. He ran to his daddy and hugged him around the waists.

"Good morning, my love," the brunet said, kissing his son’s head.

"Morning, daddy"

Gwen and Galahad left the room and Merlin and Mordred went to sit on the bed, where the other members of their family were waiting for them.

Mordred never broke away from his father and ignored Arthur, as he did most of the time.

For years he had had no problems with his papa, but in the past year, the Lady’s voice was back in his head, who kept telling him that Arthur was evil, even showing him imagines of the cruelties that his papa had done. Therefore, Mordred decided he would wait to be grown up before doing something against his blond parent ... in the meantime, he would protect his daddy with everything he had.

Unaware of the dark thoughts of his eldest son, Merlin was proud to see the boy hugging and kissing his brothers and sister on the cheek.

At the beginning, Mordred had not been happy about his siblings’ arrival. He had been worried that his daddy would have left him. However, when he saw that Merlin was treating him the same way as before and that he was spending a lot of time with him, even doing things together just the two of them, he changed his attitude and began to love his brothers. He played with Constantine and Godric; he played dolls and protected Emma, and helped Merlin to look after Mary ... he was the best big brother in the world.

 

The royal family sat at the table and began to eat their breakfast. Obviously, the children started to tell what they would do during the day, while Emma whispered to his little sister how many beautiful dresses their papa would buy them when she got older.

Merlin looked at Arthur as if to say _'you see? You have spoiled her too much'_

The blond shrugged and stood up. "I have to go to the meeting. Shall I wait for you, love?"

"No, go ahead. I am going to finish dressing the children, then I'll join you ... Meanwhile, talk about the boring stuff"

Arthur smiled; "that will be done" He kissed all his children, Merlin on the lips, and left the room.

 

….

 

Arthur began the meeting as usual: he asked the report of the situation of the city and the kingdom; then, he wanted to know the situation of the other kingdoms under his command.

In fact, over the last five years, Arthur had conquered, through wars or through alliances, almost all the kingdoms of Albion.

When Morgana had stolen Camelot for the second time, Arthur had been very upset. And although he had taken it back, he had understood one thing: if he wanted the same thing not to happen again and if he wanted that his family to be safe, he had to ensure that Morgana would not find any allies. In short, he had to have all the kingdoms under his rule.

So, in the last five years, his mission had been this one ... besides impregnating Merlin as many times as possible, in order to have the big family that the blond had always dreamed of having.

  The first kingdoms that Arthur conquered through the renewal of old alliances were Gawant, the kingdom of Lord Godwyn and his daughter, Princess Elena; Olaf’s kingdom and Nemeth, ruled by king Rodor.

In the case of Nemeth, king Rodor had had a special request in exchange for the peace treaty. Since he had no sons, he wanted Arthur to become his son. Therefore, he asked the king of Camelot to take Princess Mithian as his queen and in return, they would be allies. A king could have both a queen and a consort. Usually the two titles coincided with the same person, but since Merlin was a man, he could not be Queen and king Rodor wanted Mithian to have that role and to give him grandsons.

In other circumstances, Arthur would have immediately declared war, due to the insult and disrespect towards his husband. However, at the time, the blond had not wanted to lose too much time in war, given that Merlin had been at home and about to give birth to Emma ... and Arthur had not wanted to miss his daughter’s birth. Therefore, the young king had accepted the request, saying that he would have married Mithian in Camelot. Obviously he was lying.

Returned home, Arthur would have locked the girl in the Black Room, where he had imprisoned Morgana years before. Then, he would have blackmailed king Rodor: if he wanted his daughter alive, he had to sign the peace treaty without fuss. Fortunately for the princess, back to Camelot, she and Leon, who had remained at the castle because of a wound to the leg, had fallen in love at first sight with each other. Reluctantly, Rodor had accepted the marriage with the first knight of the High King and the two had got married. Now they had a two-year-old daughter, Rose.

on the other hand, the kingdoms that resisted Arthur’s power, requiring the use of force, were Daobeth, Odin's Kingdom; Deorham, king Alined’s kingdom and Caerleon.

When Arthur had executed king Caerleon, Queen Annis had declared war against Camelot. However, Arthur, with the help of Merlin’s kind and compassionate soul, had eventually been able to convince the queen to stop the fight, becoming great allies.

 

Now, Arthur had everyone under his power.

The only kingdom that was missing from the list was Amata, the reign of King Sarrum.

 

….

 

Merlin entered the Council Room with Mary in her basket in his hands, just as Arthur was talking about Sarrum.

"I'm going to go to Amata and assassinate Sarrum, so we can put an end to his reign of terror," Arthur was telling, while Merlin sat beside him with the baby in his arms.

"Are you sure, Arthur? There’s no chance of an agreement or a war? Do you really have to use these subterfuges? It is dangerous," Merlin said.

"I know, love, but I will not have Sarrum as an ally. He has a reputation. Even my father feared him. They say he takes joy in impaling men, women and children, too. He also has a fondness for assassinating his friends…. no, if we want peace in the kingdom, that man has to go" Arthur would never allow to that sadist to breathe for much longer, endangering his family.

"Not to mention the rumors circulating about him, my lord," Leon interrupted.

"What rumors?" Arthur asked, stroking Mary's cheek.

"Our spy in Amata has just informed me that Sarrum had had Morgana under lock and key for two years"

Everyone in the room gasped, surprised. This explained why they had not heard of the witch for so long.

"You said ' _had_ '? Does he not have her anymore?"

"No, sir. Unfortunately, she managed to escape almost a year ago... other sources say that now she is located in the fortress of Ismere"

“Then we're going to Amata; we find out how Sarrum managed to keep Morgana prisoner for so long; we kill him and then, we go to Ismere to find out what my sister is plotting "

"Good ... when do we leave?" Merlin asked.

Arthur whirled toward his husband, "We? You are not coming, Merlin. Absolutely not"

The brunet scuffed, "Of course I’m coming with you!"

"Merlin, the children ..."

"The children will be fine. Mithian and Gwen will take care of them." Merlin madly loved his children, but after five years of pregnancies, breast-feedings, dirty diapers and baby food, he really needed an adventure with adult people.

"I'll NEVER take you with me to the Sarrum ... NEVER!! He is dangerous. Moreover, he hates magic more than anything else in the world. He is already feeling threatened by the fact that I have won all the kingdoms around him... if I also take my sorcerer husband to him, he might react very badly ... please, love ... I don’t want him to hurt you..."

Merlin sighed, "All right, no Amata. However, I come with you to Ismere... shut up, Arthur ... you’ll need me if you see Morgana. Magic must be fought with magic. You know that"

"FINE!!" Arthur said irritably, knowing that Merlin was right. "While we go to Amata, you will go to Queen Annis’ castle. We will meet there. Then we're going to Ismere. Deal?"

Merlin smiled, satisfied, "Deal"

Three days later, Arthur’s group left for Sarrum’s kingdom.

 

**^^^^^**

 

**_FIVE YEARS AGO…._ **

 

_Morgana was about to pass out, but she had to know the name of her savior, "Who are you?"_

_"I'm Freya"_

Morgana suddenly opened her eyes and did not recognize the place where she was.

It was a small house. She was lying on a bed made of wool and furs. She was wearing only a light white tunic.

She tried to get up but she felt very weak and felt pain where she had been stabbed by the sword. She raised her tunic and saw a white scar.

Morgana grunted in pain and an alarmed voice said, "Do not move! You’re still weak. You have been in a coma for nearly six months!"

The voice belonged to the girl who had saved her in the forest.

Seeing the confused face of her patient, she asked gently, "do you know your name? Do you know who I am?"

"Um ... yes, you're Freya. My name is Morgana. Thank you for saving my life. Where are we?"

Freya smiled sweetly. "We are on the shores of the Lake of Avalon. This small hut is my house. After I have found you injury, I brought you here. Your wound was so bad that I was forced to make you fall into a deep sleep, so you could heal. Your magic helped you a lot. I think that without it you would have surely died. However, don’t worry ... the ones that had hurt you cannot reach you here ... you're safe... the Villias protect us"

"What are the Villias?"

"Spirits of the brooks and streams. They found me when I was in danger. They have healed me and leaded me here. Since then, they protect me and they promised me that when I die, they will make me a spirit like them"

Morgana nodded. She had not experience with the magic of the earth; she much preferred dark magic. But for now, it was better to keep her savior unaware of this little detail. "Why were you in danger?"

Freya’s gentle face became suddenly dark and her eyes empty. "This is a story for another time ... now you must rest a little, while I go looking for something to eat"

 

….

 

It was two months later that Morgana got some information about Freya, who in the meantime had become a dear friend of her. Morgana began to really love the young girl with brown hair and with a tormented soul. It was the first time in a long time that Morgana allowed someone to enter in her heart. This is why she decided not to tell Freya that she was actually the former Lady Morgana Pendragon, known as the Witch and as the traitor of the realm. After years of struggle and loneliness, the brunette needed a break. The tranquility of those woods, of the lake and of Freya were perfect to hide, while she thought about a new plan to conquer Camelot and Merlin.

A summer evening saw the two women sitting under the stars around the fire outside the house.

Now that it was beginning to get hot, the girls wore very light clothes that left their arms uncovered. This is how Morgana noticed the ligature marks around Freya’s wrists for the first time. They were old, but still visible.

"Freya, what happened to you in the past? Where do you come from? Who are you?" Morgana was very curious. Freya was like a sister to her now and she felt very protective toward her. She had already lost Morgause… she could not lose Freya too. She needed to know everything.

The brown-haired girl looked down, absently rubbing her bruised wrists. "I ... I was a slave ... a sex slave. For three years, I have been at the fortress of Haling, my master, in Essentir. He trained me to my new life. He ..." she sighed, closing her eyes, "... he hold me naked and chained to a wall in a dark room for months. I was tortured; he manipulated my mind ... and when he broke me, he began to train me to give pleasure to men. Not a day went by without me being raped, humiliated... then, when Master was satisfied with my progress, he decided it was time to sell me officially. A man of the Western Isles bought me. You could smell his stench and see his mass of fat from meters away. Haling told me he loved locking girls in his barn, from where they never came out. He bought me and another girl, Lamia. On the way to his estate, bandits attacked us and I managed to flee. I was wounded and the Villas found me..."

Morgana gasped, "oh, Freya ... I understand you ..."

"NO, you cannot understand ... sorry, Morgana, but no one can understand what I went through"

“I. DO. UNDERSTAND. ... Better than anyone else. My brother kept me imprisoned in a windowless room for a year. The only company I had was the decapitated head of my sister, a mad doctor who did experiments on me, and the men that he sent to fuck me. I had become the whore of the castle!! Therefore, I understand, Freya ... I know how it feels like to be alone, abandoned ... forgotten."

Freya spread her arms and Morgana threw herself into them. The two friends embraced each other, crying and consoling each other.

After a few minutes, Morgana calmed down enough to continue the conversation. "Tell me about your life before being... taken"

"This is the problem ... I do not remember. my master has manipulated my mind. Every time I said the name of a relative or of a friend, Haling tortured me in a horrible way ... he hurt me so much that death would have been better and more welcome. I will not tell you what he did to me when I thought about my family ... so much pain. With time, I began to forget my past ... at least I would not have to suffer so much. The only thing I remember from my past are the sensations I felt. I remember warmth, love, protection ... in particular, I remember the sensations I felt when near to a man. I do not remember his name or how he looked like, but I know that I was safe with him; I was enveloped by light ... he made me feel loved and I loved him"

Morgana was really sad for Freya. The witch knew what had happened to her. Nimueh had taught her many torture methods. The one used on Freya was used to force the victim to associate his good memories with pain. With time and with patience, the tortured person voluntarily forgot his past life to protect himself, making his mind free to be filled with the orders of his master or mistress. If it had not happened to her friend, Morgana would have been proud of the excellent work done by this Haling.

"Do not worry, Freya. When I am queen, you will need to fear nothing... you'll be safe ... no one will harm us anymore"

Freya frowned, "Queen? Who are you really, Morgana?"

The brunette smiled. At the beginning of this evening, she meant to tell everything about herself to her friend. She wanted to tell her about Camelot; she wanted to talk about Merlin and their son, Mordred, to whom she was talking in his mind again, manipulating his dreams. However, since Freya did not remember anything, it did not feel right to Morgana to tell her about her life, in order not to hurt her further. "Let’s just say that there's a whole kingdom and a beautiful king waiting for their true Queen"

 

….

 

Almost a year later, Morgana and Freya were walking in the forest. Morgana was showing Freya some magic tricks, when knights attacked them.

Morgana tried to fight them, but they took Freya as a hostage and she was forced to surrender. Freya’s safety was more important than hers.

"Well, well ... So the rumors were true ... there's a witch in these woods and not a normal witch, but the famous Morgana Le Fay, or should I say Morgana Pendragon"

A bald and threatening man, probably the leader of the Knights, made his way through the group of soldiers, wearing an evil smirk. "I hate magic ... it is an abomination!"

He motioned to one of his men, who blocked Morgana from behind. "A misstep, my lady, and your friend will pay the consequences ... questions before you lose consciousness?"

"Who are you?"

"I am king Sarrum of Amata ... and you'll be my host for quite a while"

The soldier struck Morgana’s head, causing her to lose consciousness. The last thing she heard were Freya’s screams.

 

....

 

And like that, began the worst two years of the brunette girl’s life and when she managed to escape, she swore vengeance on everything and everyone for the wrongs she had suffered.

The final battle was near.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to make things clearer: when arthur left for amata, morgana has already escaped. I didn't want to describe her time with the sarrum, like in the show. 
> 
> children's age:  
> mordred: 7 (like in the first season)  
> Costantine and godric: 5  
> Emma: 3  
> Mary Margaret: a week
> 
> I will explain why I choose these names in the last chapter. for now, take them for what they are... just names.


	30. United in Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, everyone. sorry for the delay.  
> this chapter was meant to be longer, but in hour Im leaving to go on holiday for a week and I didn't want to make you wait so long for a new chapter. 
> 
> Warnings: characters death, dark arthur.  
> ispired by episode 5x01- 5x02

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

      

 

 

The journey to Amata was quick and effective. Arthur wanted to resolve the issue as soon as possible, because he hated being apart from his children, but especially being apart from his love. The sooner he killed Sarrum the better.

The plan was relatively simple. Arthur, Gwaine and Percival would go to the castle to discuss the 'peace treaty' with the king, distracting him from what would happen around him. Meanwhile, the rest of the Camelot army would surround the city and the castle (this part would be possible thanks to Merlin, who had enchanted the knights' armors before the departure, making them invisible). At the best moment, Arthur would signed to the army to attack and, while the men of Amata would be distracted by the attack, Arthur, Gwaine and Percival would kill Sarrum.

The blond king hoped to be fast. He wanted to reach his husband as soon as possible, who in the meantime was heading to Queen Annis' castle, along with Lancelot and Elyan.

 

**…**

 

Arthur had never been to Amata before then, but the city was exactly as he had imagined it to be from the stories that his father had told him.

Outside the walls, the field was completely dry and lifeless. The only sounds were the cawing of the crows. The walls and the castle were black as night and, around these walls, there were half- eaten corpses of hanged men. The stench was terrible. The situation did not improve much once inside the citadel. The streets were deserted and the mood was gloomy. You could only feel the smell of death and disease.

Soon, the trio arrived in the courtyard of the castle and the infamous King Sarrum with a group of men, armed to the teeth, were waiting for them.

“The last time I met you, you were ten years old. Uther held a tournament in your honour…. We welcome you and your warriors with friendship,” the old King said, lying through his teeth with a grin on his face.

“We are most grateful to the Sarrum for accepting our visit desire…. and by the way, my Lord, I fight my own tournaments now.” Arthur counterattacked with a sneer.

“From what I've heard about you, Pendragon, it seems so .... The banquet is ready. But I must ask you to abandon your weapons ... I'm used to not trust my guests and no one can be more armed than me in my kingdom and in my castle"

Arthur had expected this demand and that's why he had asked Merlin to make their main swords invisible, making the Sarrum believe they were defenseless and weak. In this case, Arthur was happy that the Sarrum hated magic, because it meant that he had no protection against enchantments. Although this made him even more curious about how the old king had managed to subdue Morgana.

 

 

In the Great Hall, the banquet began. Arthur was sitting at the right of the king of Amata.

“I must confess, king Arthur, that I am deeply disappointed that you have not brought with you your sorcerer- husband"

The king of Camelot frowned, confused by that statement. _Why did the Sarrum, who hates magic, want Merlin in his kingdom?_ "Why is that, my lord?"

Sarrum smirked and took a whole chicken in his hands, "because I could not wait to skin him alive until he begged for death and then, break his neck" He broke the neck of the chicken for emphasis. Laughing aloud at the shocked face of the blond.

Arthur composed himself and fixed a dark gaze on the king, "in this case, I don’t think you would have enjoyed it for very long ... as you know, my army is far superior to yours; not to mention my power as High King of these lands"

The Sarrum stiffened immediately at being reminded that he was alone now ... that everything around his kingdom belonged to the boy sitting next to him.

He swallowed and continued, "Then I wonder how such a powerful man like you could fall so low to consort with a sorcerer, literally"

Arthur smiled, "I will let you know that my husband is pretty much perfect. He is beautiful and a great lover. He is powerful, generous, loving and the descendant of one of the noblest families of the world. Also, he has already given me five healthy and strong children... a lot more than I could ever have with a noblewoman"

"Ah I remember... that abomination has given you children. Some of them has magic?"

"Yes ... three of them have magical powers," Arthur said proud, thinking about Mordred, Godric and Emma.

"They are lucky not to be my children ... I would have drowned them immediately!!"

Arthur stiffed, barely holding back the urge to cut the king’s throat with the knife he was holding in his right hand. He took a deep breath, imposing himself to calm down ... soon he would take revenge for this affront. Among other things, he was sure that he would have to act against the king of Amata very soon, as he had noticed the glances that the king had been exchanging with his right man, Albin, all night. Arthur knew what they meant. The Sarrum had not the intention of allow the young Pendragon to leave the city alive. And for his own good and that of his family, Arthur had to be ready to defend himself.

“Let’s not focus on our differences, King Sarrum. Let’s think about what we have in common: our hatred for Morgana. There is a rumour that you held her prisoner. Is it true?”

“She’s nothing to be feared. I kept her like an animal”

Arthur smirked evilly. “How did you capture her? She’s...a sorceress, a high priestess”

“I found her weakness. Everyone has one, even a high priestess. A young woman. Her love for that little girl caused her to suffer more than she ever imagined possible. But not more than she deserved. I knew that she wouldn’t dare use magic against me, not while her beloved friend was at risk of harm….Such a shame. All that power, all that beauty, abandoned, forgotten in a living grave”

“You’re a harsh judge, Lord Sarrum”

“When it comes to sorcery, we must be merciless. I was not merciless enough. Morgana escaped. A lapse on my part, but I will not be so foolish again. Not that her time with me was entirely wasted. I have broken the both of them in every possible way, while they were in that pit, too small for two adults. At night, you could hear the young girl’s cries. They were even more heartbreaking than Morgana’s”

Arthur was upset ... not for the pain his sister must have felt ... no, he was happy that the witch had suffered ... he was shocked by the joy that the Sarrum was showing while telling his sadistic acts ... also, he felt a bit of pity for the young woman used as a hostage against Morgana.

"Who was this girl, friend of Morgana?"

The Sarrum smiled, "why don’t I show you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You’ll see" that said, the king stood up, pointing to the blond to follow him.

 

**…**

 

After telling Gwaine and Percival to stay alert, the young king followed Sarrum outside the castle. It was dark outside and they reached the back of the castle, in a vast lifeless plain. Arthur noticed immediately at least a hundred holes in the ground, closed by a circular plate of black metal.

Seeing the questioning look of his guest, the Sarrum said, "This is where my worst enemies are host"

Arthur was brought in front of one of the holes; the Sarrum opened it and told him to look inside.

Arthur leaned over to see what was there. The hole was actually a very narrow well, deep more or less 4 meters. However, what sickened Arthur the most was seeing a girl at the bottom of the well, with her arms above her head, chained to the wall.

Hearing the sound of the trap door opening, she raised her pale head up and Arthur gasped because of the shock ... there, in that rat hole, there was the former Lady Freya, his old rival in love.

She had changed a lot in recent years. She wasn’t the beautiful woman he had met in Draken and who had aspired to become Merlin's wife anymore. Now she was a weak little girl, very skinny, dirty, pale, scarred and bruised and that was wearing rags. She did not seem to have recognized the man who had sold her to the slave trader.

Unaware of the blond’s thoughts, Sarrum began to explain, "she is the girl who has allowed me to keep Morgana as a prisoner and to torture her for two years. But unfortunately, she is also the reason why I lost Morgana."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked without removing his eyes from Freya, who was still looking at them with dead eyes.

"That bitch down there ... one day she seduced one of the guards who used to bring them food. This allowed her to steal the keys of the trapdoor. She and Morgana killed the guard and escaped. It seemed like the slut sprained her ankle, because of her weak legs, unused for two years, and my men reached them. From what I was told, the girl pleaded Morgana to escape without her and to live free for her too. Morgana hesitated a few minutes, but then her friend pushed her away and the witch ran away, crying.

Obviously, I punished the girl very hard. For a month, I had kept her chained in my chambers, that I consider the best-equipped torturing room. It was then that I noticed the very clear signs on her body. Apparently, she was a slave before ending up in my hands ... when I got tired of her, I have put her back here in the pit ... now she is broken and empty" Sarrum laughed cruelly.

Arthur laughed too, pleased to know that his thorn in the side had suffered much more than he could ever hope.

But now he had a problem: he had promise Merlin that he would do everything to free the slaves who were prisoners of Sarrum, but he could not free Freya for various reasons. Arthur did NOT want to release her; he did not want to make her meet with Merlin again and he did not want to lose Gwaine’s loyalty, who would certainly be furious if he found out what Arthur had done to his sister.

Arthur had no choice ... he had to definitely get rid of Freya as soon as possible.

 

 

Back to the castle, Arthur immediately informed Gwaine and Percival to warn the army to attack. Then, he told Gwaine that he would be the one to kill King Sarrum, while Arthur would take advantage of the confusion to free the slaves in the pits, as he knew where the holes were.

Gwaine didn’t know that Arthur was giving him a chance to have revenge on the man who had tortured his sister.

 

**…**.

 

While Sarrum’s men fought against the invisible knights in the castle, Arthur went to Freya.

He opened the well and lowered himself inside with a rope.

He kneeled in front of the girl, "Look at you, little Freya. You deserve everything that's happened to you ... but now it's time to put an end to your suffering, my dear"

Freya looked at the new man with empty eyes ... she did not know who he was, but she recognized his voice. That voice reminded her of fear, darkness, helplessness and the end of happiness. Then, she remembered.

She started screaming desperately. "HELP!! WHY CAN’T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE, MONSTER? WHERE IS MERLIN??"

Arthur smiled, "My _husband_ is in my castle with our _five_ children ... he has forgotten about you completely... as I had expected"

She started to cry and squirm.

"Don’t worry, honey ... soon it will be all over. So I can go back to my _husband_ and our _five_ children"

Arthur covered the girl with the straw on the floor, but as she continued to call out the names of Merlin, her father and Gwaine, the blond took pity of her. He undid the handkerchief around his arm. It was Merlin’s and Arthur wore it all the time when he was away from his husband, because it was impregnated with his wonderful scent.

He gave it to her, telling her who it belonged to. Then, he went out of the well.

He looked down at the girl, who was curled up around the handkerchief, whispering Merlin’s name like a prayer. She was crying.

Arthur smiled evilly at that, "Merlin is MINE!!"

He dropped the torch into the well and the straw on the floor and on Freya began to catch fire. He closed the door, leaving the girl to burn alive.

He turned to the castle and stopped. Gwaine was running toward him.

Arthur tried to calm down and asked, "Sir Gwaine, how is the situation? Have you done your job?"

“Yes, my lord. King Sarrum is dead and his men have surrendered. Amata is ours.... why is that well burning?"

"Oh, it was empty. I want to destroy every evidence of the existence of the Sarrum’s reign of terror, so I burned it. Help me to free the slaves and to burn the other holes"

Fortunately, Gwaine said no more and obeyed.

They freed men, women and children from the wells and prisons. Most of them had magic.

After that, Arthur, Gwaine, Percival and the army left toward Caerleon, where Merlin was waiting for them.

 

 

Meanwhile, Freya's soul finally found the much desired peace and was accompanied by her Vilia sisters to the Lake of Avalon. There she became its guardian spirit ... ready to lead the lost souls who approached it.

 

 

**00000**

 

In the great hall of the fortress of Ismere, the dark witch was sitting on the throne and was thinking about her revenge.

The years of suffering had made her paler and madder ... her enemies would pay dearly.

Morgana Pendragon also wanted to avenge her close friend, Freya, who had sacrificed herself for her. Morgana had returned to Amata to free Freya, but the girl was not in the pit anymore. Sarrum had probably killed her.

While the woman was remembering her sad past, Ruadan, a rebel Druid that the witch had met in her time with the Druids, entered the hall.

"The first legion of Saxons has arrived on the coast, my lady. They will arrive here in the coming days"

"How many men?"

"About two thousand men."

"Only two thousand?? For three months, we've been waiting for them and what's coming? Only a handful of men ..."

"The journey is long and the notice was short ... we could not have known that Arthur Pendragon would conquer all Albion, preventing us to find here allies against him"

"You have promised me men that would fight for me, Ruadan. If I find that you've lied to me ..."

“I didn’t… but the Saxons need time to travel… years for all of them to arrive here. But when they will fight for us, we will be unstoppable… Patience is the stepping stone to wisdom, Morgana”

“You think I don't know that after all I've been through? For two long years, I saw nothing but darkness. Patience and I are old friends”

In that moment, a guard came in, "my lady, we saw some men coming in this direction ... knights of Camelot, my queen. The king is with them."

Morgana smiled slyly, "it seems that my beloved brother is coming to visit me ... how cute ... let's go welcoming him"

 

**00000**

 

Once reached the palace of Queen Annis and after a night of passion with his husband, Arthur led his men towards Ismere. They had no problems during the journey and they arrived in front of the fortress.

"Once we enter, let's split. You have to find out everything about Morgana and her plans ... if you encounter her, run! Merlin, you're with me," Arthur ordered.

 

 

Inside the castle, Arthur and Merlin went to the dungeons, where it was more likely that Morgana held documents with her plans. Arthur never lost sight of his love.

Turning a corner, they found themselves in front of Morgana in person.

"Hello, Arthur," she tossed her brother against the rocked wall with magic, knocking him out.

Seeing that Merlin was about to attack with his magic, she pointed a dagger against Arthur, "don’t move, dear ... or my magic may harm our dear king"

She moved slowly toward Merlin, locking him against the wall; she was a few feet from him.

She began to caress his cheek gently, "how much I have missed you, my love. You are so warm and perfect ..."

"Whereas you are cold as stone, Morgana" Merlin said.

She laughed coldly, "It’s comprehensible, without you warming my bed. But soon, I will bathe in my brother’s blood and by doing so I will be warm and ready for you, darling"

“You are consumed by bitterness, Morgana. It spreads within you like a disease… we only want peace”

“You may want peace, but I will not rest until all of Camelot bows before me…” She hissed almost against his lips. “…before us! Come with me, Merlin, and we will rule the world!"

The brunet king shook his head, "No, Morgana. It will never happen!"

She glared at him and took his wrist in a painful grip. She began to tell a spell that Merlin recognized as one for teleportation. Not wanting to be taken away by Morgana, he used magic to throw her against the wall, knocking her unconscious.

Without wasting time, Merlin took Arthur on his shoulder and ran.

 

**….**

 

Later in the forest, when the men of Camelot had found shelter for the night and Arthur had regained consciousness, they adjourned each other about what they had found out.

Gwaine had discovered, by questioning Ruadan mercilessly, that Morgana had allied herself with the Saxons, but fortunately, not all the enemy army had arrived on the shores of Albion. For that, it would take several years and this would allow Camelot to organize her defense.

 

 

During the return journey, as they were passing by a gorge, the knights found a group of travelers killed in an ambush. Examining the weapons, they understood that the weapons were Saxony. Obviously some of them were already in their lands.

As he was surveying the scene, Arthur heard a voice in the wind calling him.

He followed the voice into a cave where a nearly dead man was lying.

“What happened to you? Who did this to you?”

“That it happened at all is all that matters. I have been haunted by this moment for many years... since long before you set foot on this Earth, young king, I have waited for its arrival with the sorrow in my heart. For even as Camelot flowers, the seeds of her destruction have already being sown. The prophets speak of your bane. You would do well to fear it, for it stalks you like a ghost in the night. Unless you act wisely, even you cannot alter the never-ending circle of your... fate”

The man's hand falls into the water pool near him and Arthur started to see vision of the future:

_Arthur saw himself and his family happy in Camelot, but one of them was not._

_Arthur saw how Mordred was surrounded by a dark shadow, always following him, becoming darker with each passing year. He saw his eldest son becoming increasingly cold and calculating._

_Over time, strange incidents started to happen to Arthur: flying daggers toward him; a strange bracelet that absorbed his life; poisons in his ears; possessed Knights, trying to kill him, etc. And every time there were Mordred’s cold eyes behind each attack and Merlin’s kind ones behind each saving._

Then the scene changed.

_He saw Mordred grown up ... he was about 17/18 years old._ Arthur did not have time to contemplate his pride at seeing his son become a strong muscular man, because he was shocked to see that _Mordred, dressed in black, was riding towards a ruined castle. There, the boy knelt at the foot of a throne, where Morgana was sitting._

_Arthur saw his son, his heir, pledge allegiance to his aunt in order to destroy his father._

_Then, the blonde saw a battle. Saxons against the knights of Camelot._

_He saw Mordred reaching him from behind. He saw his own face shocked at seeing his son in the enemy ranks. They crossed swords, and then Mordred pierced his sword through Arthur's body._

_The king saw himself breathing his last breath under his son’s cold and pleased gaze._

_Then, he saw Mordred and Morgana marching on Camelot and conquering the city. They blocked Merlin's magic using magical ironed handcuffs._

_He saw Morgana forcing Merlin into marrying her, threatening his children._

_He saw Merlin trying to send secrets messages to their allies to defeat Morgana, but he was discovered. Mordred and Morgana locked him in the highest tower of the castle, where only the two tyrants could see him. Mordred was very possessive with his daddy._

_He saw his other children planning to free Merlin, but Mordred discovered them and Morgana condemned them to burn at the stake._

_He saw Merlin becoming always more depressed because of the death of his sons and daughters and because of Morgana’s belly, always more round with her daughter, conceived with Merlin._

_Arthur saw Merlin, a shadow of his old self, letting himself falling down the window of the tower, killing himself._

_Arthur saw his Camelot falling into ruin under the reign of Mordred and Morgana, united in evil._

 

                                                              

 

 

The blond blinked quickly to recover from the shock. The man next to him had died in the meantime.

“Here you are, Arthur. Is he alive?” Merlin asked, entering the cave.

Arthur had tears in his eyes and was very pale. He stood up trembling and went to Merlin. He hugged him very strongly, too strongly. Then he kissed him desperately.

"I love you, Merlin. I love you so much ... you are my life. Whatever happens, I will protect you ... I promise you, my love"

Merlin frowned, "Arthur, what happened? This is not the first time you see a dead man ..."

The blond swallowed and stroked his husband’s cheek, "I know, I'm sorry ... I'm a bit tired. ... Let’s go and tell the men I want to go back to Camelot as soon as possible ... there is a situation that I have to solve"

Yes… Arthur had a son to take care of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are almost at the end. no more than two chapters left...


	31. I can't lose him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, everyone.  
> This chapter is dedicated to merlin, arthur and mordred.  
> in the last chapter, I forgot to write that, once dead, freya has become a Vilia, a spirit of the earth. and guess what ... she is the guardian of Lake of Avalon. It will be helpful in this chapter.

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

 

****      

 

 

 

The Camelot party was riding fast to get back home as soon as possible.

Merlin had noticed that Arthur was acting strange since they left the valley of the massacre. He spoke little; he was always on the sidelines thinking, with a gloomy air around him, and above all, he had forbidden Merlin to get away from him ... he always had to stay where Arthur could see him.

One evening, when they stopped to camp a day from Camelot, Arthur pulled Merlin aside, telling the knights they wanted to take a bath in the lake and that they did not want to be disturbed.

The blond took Merlin to the lake and stripped them both. When they were completely naked, he took his hand and led him into the deep water. There, he began to kiss him hungrily, circling his hips and forcing the brunet to put his legs around his waist.

“Ar…Arthur… what are you…” Merlin began, but was interrupted by Arthur biting his lower lip.

"I need you, Merlin ... Now!!"

The blond swam with his husband still in his arms toward the shore of the lake. He laid him on the shore, placing himself above him. He began to kiss his neck, his nipples and his stomach, where their five children had found sheltered for nine months, until he get to his sex, already erect. He took it in his mouth and slowly he made him come, swallowing all his seed.

Merlin was still shaking because of the orgasm, when Arthur took his knees and pushed them to his chest, as if folding Merlin in two. The blond began to lick his entrance reverently, as if it were the most precious thing in the world. And in a sense, it was, for Arthur. From there, his children were born; it was the part of Merlin that no one else had ever seen and that belonged only to Arthur and it was the point where the two kings could be united together in an absolute and intimate way.

Arthur ignored the brunet’s screams of pleasure... the world needed to hear that the angel beneath him was HIS and no one else’s!

When he deemed him ready, Arthur entered in Merlin, moaning with his husband. He fucked him vigorously, like an animal in heat, under the moon. The forest became silent, as if she had stopped to witness the union between the High King and the greatest wizard ... the only sounds were the ones of the two men’s fleshes clashing during the frenzied coupling.

Soon, Arthur stiffened, coming inside his husband, who cum in turn. Arthur had to admit that he was disappointed to note that Merlin’s eyes had not turned gold, sign of a not achieved conception.

Merlin, who by now knew Arthur pretty well, recognized the sad look in his husband’s eyes. "Arthur, despite how much I love our children, I think it is too soon to have another one... Mary is only two weeks old, after all"

Arthur sighed and put his head on Merlin’s belly. He was still inside the warlock. "I know. But I love seeing you pregnant. I love knowing that my seed is growing inside of you ... besides, perhaps we should have another child ... in case something bad happens to one of our children”

Merlin frowned, "What do you mean?"

The blond realized what he had said and tried to remedy it, not wanting to make his beloved suspicious, "Nothing, love. I don't know what I'm saying. I’m just very tired. By the way, I was surprised when you decided to be separate from Mary, when she is so small. Usually, no one could tear you away from your children… especially, when they still are in the breastfeeding stage"

"Yeah. But I needed a break. Moreover, since I want our children to drink my milk, which makes them healthier and stronger, I found a way to give my milk to Mary, as if I was with her in Camelot. A spell regularly teleports my milk in a bottle at the palace, so that Gwen or Mithian can give it to our daughter"

Arthur groaned at the thought of magic sucking his husband’s nipples, "Sexy"

Merlin scoffed, "pervert ..." Then, more seriously, he said, "Arthur, you have been weird lately. What’s wrong?”

The blond’s face darkened, remembering the vision. He couldn’t say anything to Merlin. His husband loved Mordred too much. He would never believe Arthur; indeed, he might also try to prevent him to do what he had planned in the last few days.

The blond looked up to see Merlin's eyes and stroked his cheek. "Like I said, honey, I'm just a little tired. Everything will be fine very soon. Just remember that I love you more than anything else in the world. You are my everything. I'll do anything to protect you, no matter who I have to kill to ensure it.”

 

^^^^

 

Once in Camelot, the Kings did not even have the time to dismount, that their children ran down the stairs into the courtyard to embrace them, screaming.

Emma immediately went to Arthur, who picked her up in his arms, laughing when the little girl pecked his face with small kisses. On the other hand, the twins, Constantine and Godric, went to Merlin, also demanding to be gathered in his arms. Then, they changed place with their sister.

Arthur was still hugging the twins, when his blood froze at seeing Mordred approaching Merlin.

The child smiled widely at his daddy and hugged him tightly around the waist, nuzzling his belly fondly. "I have missed you so much, Daddy"

All Arthur’s instincts were screaming at him to go there and rip the boy away from his husband. After the vision, Arthur could no longer see him as his son, but as a threat to Merlin, as the cause of his future pain and death. And as such, the blond had to eliminate him, as he had done with many others.

His dark thoughts were interrupted by Gwen’s arrival, who had his little Mary in her arms. Arthur went to them and took his daughter in his arms, kissed her forehead and stroking her small face.

No matter how, he had to protect his family.

 

….

 

Two days later, during breakfast, Arthur told Mordred that he wanted to take him to hunt with him that morning to teach him the noble art that every nobleman had to learn to perfection.

The child obviously wanted to refuse, as he had planned to spend the day with Merlin in the east tower, to help him with his experiments. His daddy came first.

He was about to say this to his father, when Merlin anticipated him, "It is a wonderful idea. You need to spend more time outdoors, Mordred. I’ll immediately tell the cook to prepare a packed lunch for the two of you" The brunet king was glad Arthur and Mordred would spend more time together alone... they needed it.

Unable to deny anything to his daddy, Mordred nodded, although he was not enthusiastic about the prospect of spending the day with his father.

.

An hour later, the two Pendragon were ready to go with their horses in the forest.

Arthur's heart tightened a little at seeing Merlin kissing Mordred on his forehead, knowing that it would be the last time.

.

It was almost midday, when Arthur told Mordred that they would stop for lunch by the lake of Avalon, before continuing the hunt, which until then, had been silent but fruitful.

Unseen by his son, Arthur emptied a vial into the water bag, breathing deeply ... he was really doing it!

"Here, son ... drink it. It's your first hunt; you have to regain your strength." He handed the water to his son.

For his part, Mordred was a very perceptive boy. He was looking at the water bottle suspiciously. "I'm not thirsty, father"

Arthur insisted, "Mordred .... Drink. What would your daddy say if he knew that you have made a fuss?"

That was the right thing to say, because the boy took the water and began to drink it. Arthur turned his back to his son, until he heard a thud.

The blond gulped and turned. Mordred was lying on the ground unconscious. The sleeping potion had worked.

He approached the boy. He knelt beside him and pulled out a dagger. Arthur had no choice: he had to kill his son. However, given that he still loved his baby, he did not want him to be conscious of the fact he was about to die. Therefore, he had made him fall asleep. He would stab him to death. Then, he’d simulate cuts on himself to make everyone believe that they had been attacked by bandits. Then, he would prostrate at Merlin’s feet to ask his forgiveness for not having been able to protect their eldest child.

The king of Camelot put the tip of the weapon above Mordred’s heart. He could not look at him, so he focused only on the point where he would stab him. So it was that he realized that he was shaking...

What was happening? It was not the first time that he had to kill someone.

_But you've never had to kill your son_. Said a female voice in his head.

"It doesn't matter that he is my son ... I have to do this for the good of all"

_But the fact remains that he is your son_.

“I have to do this for Merlin..." Arthur was crying.

_He is your son ... your baby_...

"My baby..." Arthur whispered, weakly. Then, he shook his head, as if to get rid of those thoughts, "no ... I must do this!!" He raised the dagger above his head, ready to strike, when memories flooded in his mind.

He saw himself tightening Mordred in his arms for the first time, promising himself that he would always protect that beautiful creature. He saw Mordred saying 'Papa' for the first time and the joy he had felt. He saw his first steps and his smile. He saw the two of them running in a field, laughing carelessly ... he remembered how much he loved his son… the dagger fell from his hand.

He couldn’t do it.

Panting, Arthur collapsed on the ground, as if he had just fought against a thousand of men. He put Mordred in his lap, hugging him tightly, crying profusely in his dark hair.

“I cannot do it ... I love you so much ... so much Mordred" He looked up and stroked the boy's cheek. "I don’t know why you hate me or why you are going to hate me, but since I am your father, it is my duty to look after you and protect you, even from me. I’ll find a way to buy back your love ... I will not give up. I don’t want to be like my father. My fears shouldn’t overshadow my love for you. I choose to trust you, sweetheart”

Composing himself, Arthur put Mordred on his horse and rode back to Camelot.

If only he had paid more attention, he would have noticed that the little prince was not really that unconscious. His magic had kept him awake for a few more seconds, before everything became dark… enough for him to see his father raising a dagger to stab him in the heart.

If he ever awakened again, Mordred promised himself to tell everything to Merlin as soon as possible.

 

^^^^

 

Back at the castle, Arthur told everyone that bandits had attacked them and that Mordred had lost consciousness after a blow to the head and that he probably would not remember much about the accident.

Merlin was obviously worried and told Gaius to examine his son immediately. Gwaine and Arthur had to take Merlin away from Mordred’s side by force, in order to allow the old physician to do his job ... the brunet definitely did not want to leave his baby alone.

Arthur couldn’t imagine how Merlin would have reacted if he had returned Mordred’s corpse to Camelot, as he had planned to do at the beginning.

A few hours later, the boy awoke and Arthur wasn’t worried by the fact that Mordred had requested Merlin’s presence in his rooms ... nobody knew what had really happened in the forest ... and no one would ever know.

But perhaps the blond king should have suspected that something was wrong, since Merlin had left Mordred’s chambers grim-faced and with an expression in his eyes so cold that it could kill... like a snake ready to attack.

 

**…..**

 

That night, Arthur woke up in his bed with the feeling of something cold and sharp pressing horizontally against his throat. His experience as a soldier told him it was a sharp dagger and the smell in the air told him who his assailant was.

Still with his eyes closed, he said, "Are you going to kill me?"

"This depends on how you answer my question”

The blond opened his eyes, looking at the one who had his life in his hands, sitting astride on his stomach, naked, given the activities of a few hours ago.

"Killing a defenseless man with his own dagger is a very cowardly act"

"Even trying to kill your own son with your own dagger is" Merlin said, cold as ice, pressing the knife even more against his husband’s throat.

"How did you find out?”

“Mordred told me everything. Of the way his father has tried to kill him after getting him to sleep. Well, it seems that you have underestimated his magic ...it has slowed down the effects of the sleeping potion and he has seen everything, you bastard!"

Arthur swallowed. He was in trouble. If he were not careful about what he was going to say, he would die. He knew better than anyone how much Merlin was protective of his children.

"Merlin..."

"Tell me why. Why did you try to do something so horrible? Mordred is your SON!!”

“Do you think I don’t know that?!? You think it was easy for me to make that decision?!? You don’t know what I saw!! You don’t know what Mordred is destined to do!! You don’t know what he will do to you..." Arthur was crying at that point.

Merlin frowned, confused. But he did not lower the weapon. "Then tell me what you know, Arthur."

The blond hesitated too long. Merlin pressed the dagger even more. "Listen to me, Pendragon. Right now, I'm so angry that the only thing I'm thinking about is whether to kill you with a cut to the throat or in an extremely slow and painful way. With my magic, I could turn your blood into acid, making you scream for hours. So, start talking…”

Arthur began to tell him everything. The vision; what Mordred will do and his plan to end the threat.

"But then, I couldn’t do it, Merlin. He is my son. I want to find out what will push him to choose the path of darkness. In the vision, we haven’t done anything and we have lost him... now that I know, I choose to do something about it. Killing him would have been the easiestway, but not necessarily the right one”

Merlin was shocked by what he had just discovered. His baby was going to do all those bad things?? Why??

"However, you were still ready to kill him..."

"Yes, I was... you should know by now that I’m ready to do anything for you ... as I have always done”

At Merlin’s puzzled face, Arthur said, "You are my destiny, Merlin. Before meeting you, I was just a spineless prince, incapable of fighting for what I believed in. I was weak, insignificant ... then, I met you and I understood what I wanted. I wanted you. I wanted to rule with you. To live with you. So I started to do everything I could to achieve that goal ... for the first time in my life, I was myself; I knew who I really was and what I was capable of doing. Unfortunately, you had not figured that out yet... you didn’t know who you were and who you could become yet. Therefore, I decided to help you ... I had to return the favor. I had to set you free as you have done for me. Obviously, Freya and Balinor had to go ... all the others were unpleasant consequences”

"To help me?? You killed my FATHER!! I was already free. I was happy with my parents, in my kingdom, with my betrothed… “

“NO, YOU WERE NOT!! You thought you were, but it was all an illusion. When I first laid my eyes on you, I understood immediately that you were trapped, like me. You were being grounding up... you could be more than the crown prince of a single kingdom. I could not allow you to throw your life away that way; locked in an endless cycle"

"What do you mean?”

“Do you really believe you'd have been happy with the life your parents had in store for you? I can see it:  you would have done the exact same things every day, talked to the very same false people, until the day of your father’s death. Then, you would have become king and repeated the same routine day after day. You would have married Freya and, now that I know you very well, Merlin, I can tell you that you would have got bored of her within a couple of years. She was so boring and sugary ... whereas you are full of fire and spirit ... you're a dragon, Merlin, and you need someone who is able to subdue you, yet, able to keep up with you... you need me ... a 'Pendragon', _chief dragon_ , not a whiny little girl. I can see you sitting on your throne in Draken with her by your side. While you carry the weight of the kingdom on your shoulders, she is just sitting there on her throne, sewing. And let’s hope that your kids would not have been like her or your kingdom would have been doomed. Then, you would have taught your heir to be like you ... and the cycle would have started again. But with me, you're free. You can fly as high as you want ... no one can stop you. You make the rules, Merlin. I know you love the fact that you can really make this world a better place ... that everyone must follow your just laws, not only Draken or Camelot. Your life is no longer boring... Here, every day is a new adventure: monsters to fight, enemies to stop, people to help and strong and active children to raise. You love all this. And the day I met you, I knew you were not meant to be a simple king ... you were destined to be the Consort of the greatest king of all! Divided, you and I were bland; together, we are ruling the world!!”

Merlin was crying silently, because he knew that deep inside Arthur was right. All his life he had felt trapped. His every step had been already decided for him. He couldn’t make a real difference in the world, because there were rules to follow and nobles to please. Since he accepted his destiny with Arthur, he had never felt freer.

"Why are you telling me all this, Arthur?"

"Because I want to save our family, Merlin ... But I cannot do it alone ... I need the other side of my coin. Together we're invincible… together, we are legends”

In that moment, Merlin understood Kilgharrah’s words ... the path that Mordred would choose depended on his and Arthur's choices. Arthur had chosen to fight for him, for their child; now it was up to Merlin to choose. But then, perhaps he had never had a choice.

The brunet nodded, "Okay. I'm with you, Arthur. But the next time I find out you've tried to hurt my children, I swear that nothing will save you from my wrath"

The blond smiled, throwing away the dagger and pulling Merlin toward him, "I don't expect anything less from you”

 

^^^^

 

In the following days, the two kings watched Mordred more carefully. It was obvious that the child was cold toward Arthur, but that his face lit up when he saw Merlin or his siblings.

The question was: why?

Suddenly, Merlin remembered when some years before, Mordred had confessed that Gwen (when she was still possessed by Morgana) used to tell him that Arthur was evil. Perhaps Morgana’s influence had not stopped at mere words.

One day, the brunet decided to talk with his son in private and Mordred, incapable of lying to his daddy, confessed that sometimes he heard the voice of a woman in his head, telling him about his father’s crimes and about how Arthur had hurt Merlin.

"She makes me see things, daddy. Terrible things ... she tells me it's my destiny to stop father and to protect you ... and I will, daddy... I will save you”

“Oh, my love ... you are so brave and I love you so much, but you must not listen to the voice of the lady ... she is evil"

"I tried, but I cannot ... she is always in my head...”

Merlin swallowed, "Sleep now, love ... I will take care of things"

When Mordred was asleep, Merlin put a hand on his forehead and opened his inner eye. He looked into his son and there, close to his heart, there was a huge black spot. Everyone has evil within himself or herself, but that was not just Mordred’s natural darkness ... it was also someone else’s ... it was Morgana’s darkness.

Merlin jumped up. He was shocked and furious. _How dared that witch pollute his child in that way???_

 

_…._

 

The brunet rushed to Gaius and told him everything.

"What can I do, Gaius? How can I free my son from all that darkness?"

"Unfortunately, it is not possible, Merlin. Once darkness has entered a soul, it’s almost impossible to remove it without damaging the infected person"

"Even if I kill Morgana?"

"Yes. If what you say is true, her darkness is now very deep in Mordred’s soul. Even if you kill Morgana, the seed she has sown in Mordred would grow anyway. It is now part of him"

Merlin rubbed away the tears, "This cannot being happening. I cannot lose him, Gaius.”

“The only thing that could help him is learning how to close his mind to avoid further negative influences and learning to live with this darkness, stronger than normal"

"There are two obstacles to this solution. First, I don’t know how telepathic magic works. To me, it is natural, but I have never understood how it works. I could never teach Mordred to shield his mind, when I, for one, do not know how. Second, how can I avoid Mordred to be negatively affected, when he lives with the person that Morgana has taught him to hate? From what Arthur saw in the vision, Mordred will become increasingly evil here in Camelot”

Gaius sighed, "I know you will not like it, but there is a single solution for both problems ... maybe you should send Mordred to someone who can teach him everything he needs to know about telepathy. Moreover, by doing so, the Prince would be far away from Camelot and Arthur"

"You want me to be separated from my son?? To send him where? You're not talking about... "

"Yes ... the Druids. They are peaceful people. Mordred would grow in a peaceful and free of evil environment, unlike court life, if I can speak freely”

Merlin shook his head, "no, no ... I've already sent someone to the druids in the hope that she could live a happy life and it did not go very well"

"Merlin, when you sent Morgana to the druids, she was already a lost soul. She was already broken beyond repair. No one could do anything for her. But there is still hope for Mordred. Darkness has not completely invaded his heart yet... you have to believe in his goodness, which is fighting against the darkness every day ... without you, I think that unfortunately he will lose the battle ... don’t give up before even beginning... your son is worth it”

“You are right, Gaius…. Mordred is worth it”

 

….

 

Arthur was not very happy with the idea of parting from his son, but he knew it was their only hope. Now they had to convince Mordred.

Merlin was going to break the news to him, as he had some problems with Arthur.

"Mordred, darling ... can we talk?"

"Yes, Daddy." The boy laid the book he was reading on the floor. He was sitting under an apple tree in the garden.

"Honey, maybe we have found a solution to the problem of the voice."

Mordred smiled happily.

“You see, love, this dark lady wants to hurt our family; therefore, she has put a little of herself inside of you. So that one day, you would hurts us"

"But ... but I don’t want to hurt you, Daddy .... Does that mean I’m evil?”

“No, love ... in each of us there is good and evil ... it’s inevitable. What we can do is to choose which path to follow. Unfortunately, when it will be your time to choose your path, the dark lady’s presence in you may not give you a real option of choosing. Do you understand me?"

"I think so. What can I do to stop her?"

"You must learn to close your mind and to live with that part of you. Unfortunately, I cannot help you with that, but there are people who can. The Druids will help you”

Mordred's eyes widened. "You want to send me away?"

"No, no ... if I had my way, I'd keep you with me for the rest of my life ... I love you so much, Mordred. But staying here with me and your father will hurt you. I don’t want to lose you. But if we do not do something, one day I'll lose you forever"

The boy looked down, thoughtfully. Part of him did not want to leave his daddy ... he had to protect him; but another part, weaker than the first one, was whispering that going with the druids was the best thing for him ... this way, he would be able to protect his daddy for real.

"I don’t want to hurt you, Daddy. That's why I'll go with the Druids"

Merlin smiled in relief and hugged his little boy, "my brave man. Now I know that one day you will come back to me. Morgana has forgotten that the love that binds us is more important than the power we wield”

 

^^^^

 

A week later, Arthur, Merlin and Mordred found themselves on the borders of Camelot before three Druids, who would take Mordred with them.

"You don’t need to fear, my lords. The young prince Mordred will be safe with us. Further evil will not touch him, as long as he'll be with my people. The witch has no power over us" Iseldir heartened.

The kings nodded, relieved.

Merlin kneeled in front of his son, who was wearing simple clothes and a green hood. "I love you, Mordred. My love for you is bigger than the sky, deeper than the sea, stronger than the trees of the forest and eternal as magic. Take this..." Merlin held out to his son a necklace with a crystal as a pendant.

“As you know, magic is the fabric of our soul. In this crystal, I put a bit of my magic… this way, you can always have me with you. I hope it will lead you, when every other light goes out. When you will face your demons, remember that I love you more than anything, my son"

Merlin hugged Mordred strongly. "I will never forget it, Daddy.”

Then, Arthur came closer; "Here..." the blond gave Mordred a round object, [(link)](http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvdwroaxeO1qkspqso1_1280.png) "... This belonged to my mother. It bears her sigil. It's the only thing I have of her and it’s the most precious object I possess, besides my wedding ring. I know we don’t get along very well, but I hope this will help you to remember that I love you, Mordred. One of the best days of my life was when you were born ... I hope you'll remember me with affection while you're away"

Mordred surprised everyone, included himself, by embracing Arthur; thing he had not done in years. "Thank you, papa”

Arthur smiled, his eyes wet, "Thanks to you. I love you, my son," he kissed his head.

.

Arthur and Merlin watched sadly, as their eldest son walked away with the three Druids.

"What will happen, according to you?" Arthur asked.

"Two possibilities: either Mordred comes back to us as our son, or he will be lost forever and he will be your bane"

The blond gulped, frightened by the future.

"Arthur ... I will not sit still and wait doing nothing. Morgana has gone too far this time. It is time to end all this pain"

Arthur turned toward his husband, "What do you want me to do?"

Merlin continued to look towards Mordred and replied coolly but firmly, "it's time to fight back. It's time to end this battle once and for all ... Declare war on Morgana!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, the female voice in arthur's head was freya's. 
> 
> next: THE LAST CHAPTER!!!


	32. THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last chapter ... I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!  
> Your opinions about how this story should have ended were so mixed that it was impossible for me to please everyone. So I apologize to those who will be disappointed with the ending.  
> Thanks are in the ending notes.  
> Warning: This chapter is a sort of Crossover. In the sense that for some characters (Merthur children as adults) I was inspired by some characters from my favorite movies and TV shows (aka Harry Potter and Once Upon a Time).  
> If you do not know them, DON’T WORRY.. The chapter will be comprehensible nevertheless.  
> For security, I put pictures of how I have imagined the characters at the end of the chapter... so you know what was going on in my head. (For example: Emma Pendragon is inspired by Emma Swan of Once Upon a Time)
> 
> ENJOY THE READING

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The kings of Camelot, along with all the best and trusted knights of the kingdom, were in the Throne Room, looking down at the map of Albion.

For the first time, the Room was decorated with a Round Table in the middle, at which the men were sitting. The battle ahead of them was going to be dangerous and risky- many men would not return home- and that’s why Arthur had decided that those men, who would follow him, deserved more than a pat on the back. They deserved to sit at the same height of the king, where no man had more importance than another. They deserved to sit at the Round Table.

"Sire, we have received news that after your declaration of war has reached Morgana, another wave of Saxons has moored on our shores. Now their number is equivalent to ours. It is likely that others will arrive in the coming months. You were right to declare war on Morgana now, my lords ... before their number would increase" Leon said, glancing with approval toward Merlin, who had been the one to decide to attack the witch as soon as possible.

"The question is: where will the battle take place?" Arthur asked, looking at the map, spread on the table.

"The best solution would be to wait for the witch to come here to Camelot. We can make our stand here. However great her army, the walls of Camelot will hold." Elyan proposed.

Arthur and Merlin exchanged a look of understanding. They had already discussed the matter the previous evening.

"Actually, King Merlin and I have decided to ride out and meet them. Man to man. Away from the city"

The knights gasped. "My Lord, I do not recommend it" Sir Leon said. "Here we have a great advantage. Not only we have the home court advantage, but also the fact that the Saxons, not having many castles on their lands, are not accustomed to lay siege to one. On the contrary, they are masters in the combat in an open field. We’d lose the advantage that the castle would give us"

"I know, Leon. However, we are kings. When we were crowned, we vowed that we would protect the people first... including before ourselves. In case of siege, we would not be able to give asylum to everyone, as my people has grown in recent years.... some of them would remain outside the walls and you know as well as I do that, during a siege, everything that remains beyond the walls of the castle is destroyed: houses, fields ... people. And we cannot allow that. It would mean going against our oaths and my sister cannot and will not desecrate our noblest values. That would mean losing the battle even before it's begun. Furthermore, I will not be like my father. I will not stand by, behind these beautiful walls, and let our citizens be slaughtered!!" Arthur was panting at the end of his speech, but he was proud of himself.

Merlin spoke up, taking advantage of the astonished silence of the Knights. "Moreover, this solution will give us the possibility to save as many people as possible in case of defeat. A guard will be placed near the battlefield and in case of defeat, he will come back to Camelot to warn everyone, so that the people would have time to run and Mithian to take all our children to safety to her kingdom or to the Druids"

“For me it will be an honor, Merlin. I will look after your children, Galahad and Rose ... they will be safe with me," Reassured the princess of Nemeth.

"Not to mention the fact that Gwen will give you a hand," said Lancelot.

"No, I will not," said his wife. "I'm coming with you. I will help Gaius with the wounded"

"No, Gwen. It is dangerous," Lancelot countered, worried.

She raised her head defiantly. "If you think that in what would probably be our last days, I will sit waiting for a man that I might never see again, you're wrong. If you wanted a weak damsel in distress locked in a tower as a wife, you have married the wrong person"

He smiled proudly and took her hand. "No, I haven’t. I'm a knight. I was born for adventures and challenges. Therefore, you're perfect for me. Damsels in distress become boring after a while. Have you ever noticed that no one talks about what happens after the rescue of the princess from the tower?"

They smiled at each other, full of love.

Arthur coughed, "OK. Now that you understand, we have to decide where to face Morgana’s army”

After long discussions, the group opted for the plain of Camlann.

They would leave after one week.

 

….

 

The night before departing, all the knights and kings were in their rooms with their respective families to live together those last moments of absolute peace.

Merlin was sure that Gwaine and Percival were together that night. He knew that Percival had been in love with Gwaine since they were children. He also knew that the gentle giant knight had decided to stay in Camelot for the brown haired man and that he was going to confess his love that night... he did not want to have any regrets. The king was sure Gwaine would reciprocated, despite his feelings for Merlin being still slightly visible in his eyes.

Slowly, Gwaine was going on with his life and Merlin was happy that his friend had found someone who would love him as he deserved and that could give him what Merlin couldn’t.

.

For their part, Merlin and Arthur were in the room of their children, who, since Mordred had left, had decided to sleep all together in the same room- Mary included- to console each other.

The royal family was sitting on the big four-poster bed, eating sweets. Despite the tension before a battle, Merlin and Arthur managed to leave the children in the dark about it, who alternated a game to a question about when their big brother would return.

Godric and Constantine were running around the room, chasing each other; Emma was dancing with Arthur, because she wanted to practice for when she would find her Prince Charming, while Mary applauded happily from Merlin's lap, watching her siblings. Their parents laughed with them. They loved those children with all their hearts.

When it was time to go to sleep, Arthur stood in the doorway, watching his husband singing a lullaby to the children, barely holding back his tears.

 

****

 

The next day, the army of Camelot marched toward Camlann. The spies had spotted Morgana and her Saxons nearby the plain. The battle would begin the next morning.

The plan was for Arthur and the Knights to attack the Saxons frontally, while Merlin and the other sorcerers would stand to the top of the cliff to attack the enemy with magic. However, since the other wizards were not as powerful as Merlin, they would have to stay close to the brunet king in order to "borrow" some of his magic, leaving a part of the plain unguarded.

.

That night, the kings were in their white tent. They had just finished making love and Arthur was sleeping on the bed. On the other hand, Merlin was restless ... he had a bad feeling. So, without hesitation, he took his scrying bowl and tried to look for Morgana.

What he saw froze him. Morgana had just finished saying to one of her men that they would attack that same night, while a part of her army was marching towards their camp to surround them, using a hidden path.

Merlin closed the vision and began to shake Arthur. "Arthur, wake up!!"

The blond looked up, confused. "Merlin? What ..."

"Morgana is about to attack us on two fronts." Merlin screamed and told him everything.

Arthur rushed out of bed and left the tent, commanding his men to prepare for the battle. Then, he told Gwaine and Percival, who had emerged from their tent hand in hand, to take some men, find the hidden path and intercept the Saxons.

The two kings dressed quickly and reached the point where they would be going their separate ways. Arthur on the battlefield, Merlin on the cliff.

The blond stroked and kissed his husband, "Merlin, whatever happens ..."

"Don’t talk. We'll be fine. We will soon be back home to our loves. We will teach the twins how to fight and ride. We'll talk with Emma, because she is definitely too spoiled. We’ll teach Mary how to talk. And together, we will wait for Mordred’s return. Believe in yourself, Arthur. Because I do."

Arthur nodded and smiled. He took Excalibur and went to his men.

"Arthur ..." Merlin called him at the last second. Arthur turned to him. "I’ve got your back"

Arthur smiled, "I know"

 

^^^^

 

Arthur fought a Saxon. Then, he dispatched another, turning into another Saxon and disposing of him as well.

A group of Saxons charged at Arthur, but before they could strike a blast of lightning knocked them down. Arthur looked up at the top of the cliff and saw Merlin. They regarded each other for a second, nodding.

Arthur thought that from the top of that cliff, Merlin looked like a god. Under the force of his magic, it was as if nature itself had bowed at his feet. He was throwing lightning and creating air tornadoes, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In Arthur’s opinion, he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen ... and was HIS.

Arthur turned to the knights behind and raised his sword. ”For the love of Camelot!”

.

After saving Arthur, Merlin continued to attack Saxons after Saxons. At the same time, he kept trying to look for Morgana. However, the witch was clever and she was hiding herself well. He had to keep his eyes open.

.

Morgana was watching the battle from behind a large boulder. When she saw that the knights of Camelot were protected by Merlin’s magic, more powerful than hers, she had decided to hide, in order to find the best way to kill Arthur unseen by the sorcerer.

She noticed that the other sorcerers were always relatively close to Merlin, leaving the final part of the plain uncovered. It was perfect. All she had to do was draw her dear brother there alone and KILL HIM.

She found the perfect opportunity when she saw that Arthur was fighting close to where she was and that Merlin was focused on another part of the battlefield.

Smirking, she stepped out of hiding, coming in front of Arthur, "Hello, dear brother," she spat.

The King turned sharply toward her. "Morgana!!" He shouted, trying to hit her with his sword, but she created a magical shield.

"Not so fast, my dear. I want to enjoy myself" As she spoke, Morgana continued to retreat, while Arthur advanced, leading him to the desert zone, far from Merlin, where no one would disturb them.

.

Merlin and his fellow sorcerers had defeated more than half of the enemy soldiers.

The King looked down, searching for Arthur, but his husband wasn’t anywhere.

_Arthur, where are you?_

He used his magic to 'see' the path ahead. He saw Morgana leading Arthur in the only part of the plain without magical protection or soldiers of Camelot.

The brunet turned around immediately to get off the cliff and reach Arthur.

“That Dollophead!!"

.

The Pendragon siblings stopped. Arthur looked around and noticed that there weren’t neither his men nor his sorcerers. He turned to Morgana, outraged. "You tricked me!!"

She sneered, "you have never been very clever, Arthur. Did you really think you could outwit me? By the way, what happened to my Mordred? It has been a while since I was able to enter his mind"

"We found out about your mind games, Morgana. And I can assure you that you'll never find Mordred. He is somewhere safe. He will never be your puppet"

The witch was furious.  _How had dared them interfere with the creation of her perfect heir?_  "I certainly would not hold my breath on this issue... once you are dead, I will find Mordred and with Merlin we will be a happy family!"

"They are MY family!"

"Who would have thought that the worthy son of Uther Pendragon would believe himself to be a good father? .... Tell me, Arthur, at least our father had suffered when you killed him?" she asked with genuine curiosity and hope that the man she hated had had a painful death, as she had always imagined it to be.

Arthur grinned, "Do not worry. He has suffered more than you could ever imagine possible. His death was slow and painful. I buried him alive, after all. He has paid for what he did to me ... and to you"

For the first time in years, Morgana looked at Arthur happy. "Good ... if I didn’t hate you so much, I would even be proud of you right now"

"And why do you hate me, Morgana? I thought we were friends."

"Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you've locked me in a cell for more than a year?!?"

"I'm not talking about that ... even before that fact, you had tried to kill me many times ... You wanted to conquer Camelot, kill me and father and become queen."

"Being Queen was my birthright ... you were only in my way and therefore, you had to be eliminated!"

"What happened to you, Morgana? Once, you were so kind and so compassionate. I remember a wonderful little girl, who used to follow me around everywhere to protect me... she was my heroin," Arthur said, with sad and wet eyes.

Morgana drew herself up at remembering those happy moments from long ago. "And I remember a little boy with the face of an angel, who used to curl up in my bed to hug me after one of my nightmares ... he was my knight in shining armor"

"What happened to those children, who loved each other more than anything else?” He asked.

Morgana's gaze turned cold. “They grew up... They learned the meaning of duty and understood that sometimes certain measures are necessary”

Arthur wiped a few tears and posed to attack with Excalibur unsheathed. "You're right, sister ..."

She chuckled sadistically, raising her hand toward her brother. "I'm going to enjoy killing you...  _Astrice_!!"

.

Merlin was running. He hoped to be in time. There was no one around him.

At some point, he heard Arthur’s screams of pain and increased his speed.

He turned around the corner and came face to face with a scene that stopped him where he was. In front of him, Arthur was on the ground, leaning against a rock, obviously in pain. Blood was flowing from his temple and Excalibur was far from him. Morgana was standing beside him. She was looking down at him, smirking. "Look at you, not so tall and mighty now. But do not worry, my dear brother, I won't let you die alone. I will stay and watch over you, until the wolves gorge on your carcass and bathe in your blood"

“No, you won’t…” Merlin said from behind her. When Morgana turned and faced him, he threw her against the rock.

She staggered to her feet, while Merlin took Excalibur and pointed it at the witch, who began to laugh hysterically.

“Merlin, Merlin, put that down. I know you. You will never have the courage to stab me with that sword. You are a savior, not a murderer"

The brunet put down the weapon, "you're right, Morgana ..." she had a triumphant smile on her face, while Arthur felt betrayed, "... however, things have changed.” He lifted the sword again, “Once I would have never killed someone in cold blood, especially if I believed that person had some good in her, but YOU have dared to even think about hurting my SON ... and that I cannot forgive, Morgana. The day you touched my baby, you condemned yourself to death." Merlin said, cold and ruthless.

Morgana's eyes widened with fear for a moment. Then, she returned to her usual arrogant and evil self. "You’re bluffing, love. Moreover, it would be useless ... No mortal blade can kill me!"

Merlin stabbed her without hesitation, making her gasp in pain and surprise. She grasped his shoulders and looked up at him in disbelief.

“This is no mortal blade. It was forged in a dragon's breath…..  _This is for Mordred_ ” Merlin stabbed her again, deeper.

She screamed and closed her eyes. He lowered her to the ground and withdrew the sword.

Now that the warlock was sure that nothing, not even the most powerful magic could save the dying witch, he decided not to be even crueler to her. He knelt beside her on the ground and took her in his arms, moving a strand of hair from her face.

Morgana was breathing heavily. Silent tears were running down her face. She looked at Merlin and sweetly smiled at him. She raised a bloody hand and stroked his cheek gently and loving, as only a lover could do.

"My light..." she said hoarsely.

"My darkness," he said sadly.

"My love," she whispered.

"My hatred" he whispered in turn.

She laughed, but this caused blood to flown from her mouth. With a trembling and weak hand, she stroked his lips.

"Merlin, I lo ..." Her hand fell on her side. Her heart had stopped beating and her eyes were empty.

Morgana Pendragon was dead.

Immediately, before it was too late, Merlin placed a hand on her forehead and started chanting a spell, “ _Grið fæstne mid þisse tintregian sawle_!”

His eyes glowed and Morgana breathed sharply in, as she woke.

Arthur was shocked.  _Wasn’t she dead?_

Merlin looked at Morgana: now her face was no longer pale and marked by dark circles under her eyes; it was rosy and healthy. Her hair was no longer disheveled and dirty; it was clean and combed. Her eyes were no longer cold and empty, but they were bright and full of life.

The dawn light was starting to caress her face.

Morgana looked at him and smiled brightly… She looked like an angel, “Merlin…Thank you.” She closed her eyes and breathed her last breath.

The brunet king smiled, pleased, and wiped away some tears.

For his part, Arthur was still shocked. He sat better against the rock, still sore, "What happened? What did you do to her?"

"Simply I made sure she could rest in peace"

"Why?"

"Because I think she has suffered enough in this life ... it is useless to make her suffer in the other one too. And as you know, the evil souls that climb on the boat to cross the Lake of Avalon make it sink, due to the weight of their sins. These souls are forced to suffer in the cold waters of the lake for eternity. Therefore, I used a spell to purify Morgana’s soul and to make it lighter, so that she can cross the lake without fear. I hope that in Avalon she can finally find peace and the love and compassion which used to fill her heart"

Arthur did not know what to say, but looking at Morgana’s serene, peaceful and smiling expression in that moment, he realized that Merlin had done the right thing. "Why didn’t you also use this spell to free Mordred from the darkness?"

The brunet sighed, sad, "Because unfortunately darkness doesn’t like it when goodness wins. Therefore, before being extinguished by a person, it kills the host in most cases, before disappearing. I could not take that risk with our son, but Morgana had already died, so there was nothing to lose by trying"

The blond nodded. "The battle should be over. Let’s go home. I'll send someone to take Morgana’s body and to bury her next to her father Gorlois, perhaps the only person who had really loved her"

Merlin placed a kiss on the witch’s forehead, "Goodbye, Morgana. I really tried to save you". Then, he helped Arthur up to return to the Knights.

Before going, Arthur turned and said, "Goodbye, sister"

 

 

***************

 

_**10 YEARS LATER....** _

 

Ten years had passed since the victorious end of the battle of Camlann and the beginning of the Golden Age of the United kingdoms.

Under the leadership of King Arthur and King Merlin, Albion was experiencing a period of peace and prosperity. There were no more wars, except a few small and insignificant problems with bandits; the people forgot what it meant to starve, to freeze and to live in misery... their kings were taking very good care of them.

The people were so happy that they decided to celebrate every year the anniversary of their beloved kings’ marriage, since it marked the beginning of the Peace Era.

Over the years since the Great War, the kings who Camelot had conquered died, leaving room for the new generation of princes and princesses, who were more than happy to swear allegiance to the kings of Albion.

.

Even in Camelot, life had gone on in the past ten years.

The city had become one of the most beautiful of Albion, full of merchants, colors and magic.

Gwen and Lancelot had a daughter, besides Galahad, who they called Morgana, in memory of the extraordinary woman that Gwen had considered a sister and that had been very kind to her, despite their status difference.

Leon and Mithian had other children too, besides Rose. The couple had a triplet of red haired boys. The fact that Leon had fainted like a little girl when they told him was still one of Camelot worst kept secrets.

A year after Camlann, Percival and Gwaine got married and three months later, they adopted three orphaned siblings, about 5 years old, that Percival had rescued from a house on fire in a small village that had been attacked by one of the rare groups of bandits. Gwaine always repeated that the moment he saw his husband getting out of the flames with those three children in his arms, he knew that from then on, they would be a family.

On the other hand, Merlin and Arthur were content to have had no more children. Actually, they did not want Mordred, wherever he was, to think they wanted to replace him. Therefore, the two kings had been relieved when Gaius told them that those they had thought to be symptoms of a sixth pregnancy, in fact were due to food poisoning.

The two kings were pleased with the children they had, who were growing strong and healthy, each of them with a strong personality.

Obviously, they never forgot about their first child, and although they could not have contact with him, they sent birthday gifts and letters to the druids every year, to be delivered to Mordred as soon as the situation would allow it.

 

^^^^

 

Merlin and Arthur found themselves in the throne room one afternoon to hold audiences. There were also their children with them.

The twins Constantine and Godric, age 15, were old enough to sit next to their parents to listen to the problems of their subjects and to understand how the managing of a kingdom worked. Emma and Mary, respectively 13 and 10 years old, were sitting at a table near the thrones, doing their homework. Merlin had always took care himself of his children’s educational progresses.

After the last farmer of the day had gone, the royal family was ready to retire, but suddenly a guard came in and announced that a couple wanted an audience with the kings.

Arthur and Merlin sighed, but they’d better listen to them now, rather than send them back to return next week. So, they all reseated.

A few seconds later, two hooded figures came into the room. You could not see their faces, but they were evidently a man and a woman. They were dressed as druids.

The couple stopped in front of the thrones and bowed. "Thank you, King Arthur and King Merlin for allowing us the opportunity to speak." The boy said.

"It is an honor for us. What can we do for you? Druids are our friends," said Arthur, as Merlin felt a strange bond with this stranger.

"We heard so much about the great kings of Albion. We were looking forward to see you" Both Druids lowered the hood, revealing a boy and a girl, about 18 years old. The girl had blue eyes and curly brown hair. The boy had black hair and icy blue eyes. He was looking intently from Arthur to Merlin, especially at Merlin. “You don't remember me, do you? You saved my life once, many years ago…not to mention the fact that you gave me life”

Merlin gasped; his eyes wide. "Mordred?"

The boy smirked, "Hello, fathers”

Before the kings could do or say anything else, Constantine, Godric and Emma stood to their feet and ran to Mordred. "BIG BROTHER!"

They threw themselves in his arms and the older boy smiled, laughing and hugging them. "I have missed you so much, guys." He looked up and saw Mary, who was hiding behind Merlin’s throne. The little girl was very shy and did not know how to deal her older brother’s presence… after all, she had been only a few weeks old when he had gone away, even though everyone had always told her about who Mordred was.

"Hello, Mary ... you have grown up so much, princess" Mordred said lovingly. He brought his fist to his lips and uttered a spell. He opened his hand and a blue butterfly started flying toward the child. When it land on Mary’s nose, she laughed delightfully and ran toward her big brother, "Welcome back, brother." She hugged him tightly.

Merlin was about to get up to go to his son, but Arthur’s hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to the blond, who shook his head.

Arthur had to be sure of his son’s intentions before allowing Merlin to approach him.

The blond called back his children, telling them to return to their seats. Then, he turned to his heir. "Welcome back, Mordred. We have missed you. As you can imagine, we want to know what happened to you in the last few years and ... who is your friend?"

Mordred smiled patiently, "I will gladly tell you my story. I know that, under these circumstances, you cannot trust me completely until I do. However, first of all, she's not my friend ... This is Kara, my wife," He said, flushing.

Merlin put his hand to his mouth in surprise, "Oh, honey, congratulations. I'm so happy for you! ... Wait, Kara?" The king gave his attention to the girl, "you were Morgana’s servant, when she invaded Camelot for the first time, weren’t you? I remember that Morgana told me that she had enchanted you, using a Fomorroh to control your mind. How can you be still almost as young as you were then? It happened 18 years ago!!"

The girl was evidently uneasy at the thought of that time, but she answered nevertheless, "You are right, my lord. Morgana had used a Fomorroh on me. Her orders were clear: I had to serve and obey her without hesitation. So when you defeated her and she escaped from Camelot, the spell forced me to escape from the palace to look for her and continue to obey her. Unfortunately, I could not find her and I wandered through the forest to the point where I was almost starving ... My only thought was to find my mistress. When I was about to die, a group of Druids found me and among them, there was my father, Iseldir,who had never stopped looking for me since Morgana kidnapped me.

Since I was both physically and mentally weak and since the druids could not find the mother creature to destroy the fomorroh in me, they decided to make me fall into a deep sleep in the Crystal Cave, the place where magic was born and where it is more pure. They hoped that the magic of that cave could heal me from Morgana’s influence. Inside of the cave, there is no time, so I had remained fifteen year old for a long time. Then, three years ago, I woke up, healed. I went back to my father’s druid camp, where I met Mordred and I started to age again. The rest is history" Kara finished, looking at Mordred with love.

“I'm sorry for what my sister had done to you, Kara. I'm glad you're all right now. And what happened to you, son?" Arthur asked.

Mordred swallowed, uncomfortable to talk about that period of his life. "At first, everything was fine: the druids welcomed me with open arms; they taught me to control my mind and my magic, linking it to nature. When Morgana died, I felt my darkness awaking and I fell into a coma. When I woke up, a constant struggle between darkness and goodness began in me. A moment, I was good, the other evil ... I think that the evil would have taken over if it was not for your gifts, fathers. The crystal with your magic, daddy, and grandmother Ygraine’s sigil, Papa, helped me to find the light in me… Your love had helped me. However, over the years, that situation was destroying me... I did many evil things under the influence of the darkness ... I killed a lot of people ... I and my bandits did..."

The boy looked down, sad, before continuing. "... So, when I was about 14, I was about to give up ... I was tired of suffering whenever my goodness triumphed and I remembered the bad things I had done. Besides, no one could understand me ... I just wanted it to end. But when I was about to give up and give myself to the darkness completely, a beautiful girl, Kara, arrived at the camp. I saw my own pain in her eyes... she had suffered because of the darkness within herself too... finally someone could understand me and together we have learned to accept our darkness as part of us and to walk in the light. Alone we were lost, but together we are invincible ... and now, we will not be alone ever again" Mordred finished, smiling at his wife, and put a hand on her slightly rounded belly.

This time, Merlin could not help himself and ran to his son, hugging him tightly. "Congratulation, my love ... I'm so proud of you!"

Then he put his hand on Kara’s belly and felt the baby with his magic. He beamed and turned to Arthur, "Arthur, we are going to be grandparents!!"

At that news, even the blond didn’t manage to restrain himself and went to embrace his son. "Good job, son. Even if I’m too young to be a grandfather, I'm happy"

"Not so young" Merlin said immediately to his husband, grinning.

"Are you saying I'm old,  _Merlin_?!?"

"I have never said that"

"I'm not OLD!"

"Keep telling yourself that, grandpa" Merlin finished and everyone laughed. Their parents had not changed at all.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at his husband, promising a sweet revenge later in their bed. Then, he returned his attention to his son. "Then, you have destroyed your darkness?"

"Unfortunately, that is impossible, papa. But I can swear to you that as long as I have something to fight for and to love, darkness will NEVER win!" He turned to Merlin, "A very wise man once told me that the love that binds us is more important than the power we wield."

The kings smiled and Arthur said, "Then, we’d better go resting ... tonight, there will be a banquet in honor of the crown prince of Camelot’s return"

"About that, papa. I'm also here to give you another news ... I would like to renounce my right to the throne"

Merlin and Arthur’s shock was great. "Are you sure of what you're asking, son?"

The boy nodded, "yes ..." He took Kara’s hand, "I know now what I want from my life. I have chosen my path. I want to stay with the druids and live in peace with Kara and our son ... although I will help my siblings whenever they’d need me..."

"If you're sure. I accept your choice. Nevertheless, we’ll celebrate your return and announce the fact that from now on, Constantine will be the next king of Camelot" Arthur said.

This change was unexpected, but it would not cause problems. Merlin and Arthur had raised all their children to be leaders and had taught them how rule and fight. Therefore, Constantine was perfectly ready for his new role.

While Arthur watched his children accompanying Mordred and Kara towards their rooms, laughing and joking, he asked Merlin whether Mordred had told the truth or if it had been all a trick.

So, Merlin used his magic to see inside Mordred, as he had done years before. He noticed that the spot of darkness was still close to his son’s heart. However, this time, his darkness was surrounded by a white light, which was acting as a shield between the heart and the darkness. A light full of hope and love.

The brunet smiled;Kilgharrah was right: love is the greatest magic of all. "Don’t worry, Arthur. Everything will be fine"

 

 

**************

 

 

In the years that followed, Arthur and Merlin’s fame grew and their story became a legend.

People began to forget, or did not know, how the two kings had really met. Romantic stories had born of how they must have fallen in love with each other ... because, of course, soul mates as the kings of Albion must have met only in the most romantic way possible! Strange theories began to circulate about how the handsome prince of Camelot had fallen in love at first sight with the ethereal prince of a faraway kingdom… About how the great Arthur Pendragon had saved Prince Merlin from the clutches of a Lady, who had enchanted him into falling in love with her, and of an oppressive father, who did not want the two princes to be together...

No one knew how wrong they were.

But no one cared for the truth. For the people it was enough to know that Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King, and King Merlin, the great sorcerer Emrys, had started the Golden Age, united the lands of Albion and brought magic back in these lands ... like an old prophecy, lost in history and remembered only by an old dragon, had predicted.

 

^^^^

 

The day of his twenty-first birthday, Constantine Cador Pendragon officially became the crown prince of Camelot and, at his parents’ death, became a just and beloved king.

Of course, Mordred, called the Druid Prince, would help him whenever he could and if he was not busy with his duties as a family man or as the leader of the druids.

.

That same day, Godric Balinor Pendragon, second prince of Camelot, nicknamed Gryffindor after defeating a griffin alongside his uncle Lancelot and by using his magic, inherited the Emrys Castle in Drakaria. With three other sorcerer-friends of his, he turned it into a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he taught the magical arts and the collaboration between them and the non-magic users to the young wizards and witches in a safe environment.

Merlin was proud of his son’s idea and was very happy that his birthplace would be filled again with laughter and magic ... after all, it was the most magical place in the world.

.

Merlin and Arthur’s daughters became beautiful and fierce princesses. The brunet king found himself often laughing when he saw rows of knights ready to defend his daughters, because he knew that beneath their beautiful dresses, Emma and Mary were armed to the teeth: daggers hidden in the neckline between the breasts; poisoned needles hidden in the hair and swords ready to be used under their long skirts. They were Amazons.

.

Emma Ygraine Pendragon, with her blond hair and blue eyes, was the best swordswoman of the kingdom. She was often alongside her father during patrols. She had a strong and stubborn personality, like Arthur. For example, she had promised herself never to submit to a man and to live a thousand adventures.

Her life changed when she fell in love with prince Killian, after almost defeating him in a tournament.

Arthur was ready to kill the prince, after he had asked the hand of his daughter in marriage, but he had to give in when his beloved Emma gave him her best puppy Eyes - Arthur’s weakness.

The blond calmed down considerably when the day of her marriage his little girl dragged him across the floor for the Father-daughter dance [(link)](http://31.media.tumblr.com/42b5a599293d68ba3cecdf359803d004/tumblr_n2wxsuLE2V1rpwg5xo1_250.gif). Merlin had wet eyes and a sweet smile, while he looked at Arthur tightening Emma in his arms, lifting her up bridal-style and spinning her around. Both of them laughed toothy, like when Emma was a child, and did not seem royals in that moment, but really father and daughter.

After the wedding, Emma and Killian left for a great adventure around the world on his ship.

.

Mary Margaret Hunith Pendragon was the kings’ daughter that looked the most like her aunt Morgana in appearance, with her black hair and green eyes. She became a great archer and hunter.

It was during a hunting trip that she met her future husband, Prince David. He had fallen in the net she had placed in the forest to catch a prey, but ended up capturing a handsome prince.

The two of them got married shortly after that and Merlin seriously thought that this time Arthur would have a heart attack.

But in the end, the happiness of their little girl was more important than anything else.

 

 

_*********************************** _

 

Merlin was watching his children -with their partners- and grandchildren, who made sure to return to Camelot at least once a month to visit their parents and grandparents, from the balcony, while they were playing in the garden that belonged to Queen Ygraine, when he felt two strong arms tightening around his waist from behind.

Despite his age, Arthur was still a strong and virile man and, as always, was very affectionate with his husband. He put his nose to Merlin’s neck and sniffed deeply, never tired of his smell.

"They are perfect, aren’t they?" the blond asked, as they watched their family. All their children had had at least one son or daughter, who were now old enough to run carefree around the garden under the watchful eyes of their parents and grandparents.

Merlin leaned against his husband's chest and touched his hands. "Yes, they are. I have always dreamed to have a family like this ... but I didn’t believe it would have ever happened ... until you came along"

Merlin could no longer deny the obvious. The only reason he had that wonderful family and lived that wonderful life was thanks to Arthur and his stubbornness. Even if sometimes in the wrong way, the blond had taken what he wanted and had given Merlin a fantastic new life ... as he had promised to do.

The brunet could not imagine how his life would have been without Arthur. Over the years, he had forgotten Freya’s face (maybe she was not as important to him as he had thought) and had even forgotten what his father Balinor used to warn him about the Pendragons ... but surely, he must have been wrong, because Arthur was a great king and a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

Arthur smiled evilly. After years and a lot of patience, the prey had finally decided to be caught by the wolf of his own free will. He gently kissed Merlin’s neck, cuddling him, "I love you, Merlin. Always"

And for the first time, the brunet had no doubts, "I love you too, Arthur. Thank you for not giving up on me ... or Mordred. I owe you everything I have"

"Of course I didn’t give up. I was willing to wait for you all my life, my love. The day I met you, I knew without a doubt that you were meant to belong to me. You were mine; you're mine and you will always be MINE!"

_Yes, Merlin was his. His love. His destiny. His life. His soul mate. His husband. His sorcerer. His air. His everything ... His obsession_.

 

**THE END**

 

**HOW I HAVE IMAGINED THE CHARACTERS:**

Merlin [(link)](http://41.media.tumblr.com/88bd0e79a487803ea3c5842690e7e2bb/tumblr_miyslkH4Py1s0pv9lo1_r2_1280.png)

Arthur [(link)](http://watchplayread.com/files/2012/04/Arthur-coronation-.jpg)

Morgana [(link)](http://41.media.tumblr.com/523a787b8ff77a5ddc7a8c01a19cc1ea/tumblr_npe9q3ZFyL1rlgdnwo1_500.jpg)

Mordred and Kara [(link)](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/merlin1/images/7/7f/Tumblr_mdnidjAcuo1rda15eo1_1280.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121124214346)

Constantine [(link)](http://imstars.aufeminin.com/stars/fan/tom-welling/tom-welling-20070923-315173.jpg)

Godric “Gryffindor” [(link)](http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/video/thor-readies-for-battle-in-dark-world-trailer-20130423/thor-624-1366729764.jpg)

Emma [(link)](http://36.media.tumblr.com/41d8a106349edac75d61d61391e39f6d/tumblr_mt4yn3z9vw1qfbw9mo2_500.jpg)                 Emma and Killian [(link)](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fBdHgYymP80/VWoAHBwYC4I/AAAAAAAAANE/eLp8JR6q1RY/s1600/tumblr_n7dfrbqu271tcrazuo1_500.png)

Mary [(link)](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d47Sc9fcrKs/T15El-EXC1I/AAAAAAAACas/w0jh73Gp7cY/s1600/424389_405034136178054_116969841651153_1776209_1632802261_n.jpg)                    Mary and David [(link)](http://data.whicdn.com/images/48436723/large.jpg)

Percival and Gwaine’s children [(link)](http://images4.fanpop.com/image/polls/846000/846343_1317571864833_full.jpg)

Merlin's lullaby [(link)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t8-_pI1-9Q)

Emma and arthur's dance inspired by the song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman and this video [(link)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS6SwQxwzs4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank all the readers for commenting, leaving kudos or simply reading my story. You were fantastic and you gave me the strength to continue writing. Without you, I would have deleted the story a long ago for fear of having written something awful.  
> Therefore, all this is thanks to you.  
> THANKS A LOT. I LOVE YOU!!
> 
> PS: next time, would you like female!Merlin or not? (Of course always Merthur)

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE comment!!  
> Thank you


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